The Daily Democrat
Rochester, NY
Sept. 30, 1854
page 3

The County Work-House.

    On the extension of St. Paul street south of Alexander, on the line of the East Henrietta Plank Road, and nearly opposite Mt. Hope, stands a plain brick edifice, consisting of a main section, three stories in height, surmounted by an observatory, and two wings, one on the north and the other on the south side. It appears neither like a prison, a church nor a dwelling, but is a manual labor institution, the inmates which are subjected to involuntary servitude. -  We are attempting to describe the new County Work House, now about to go into operation. - In company with the Building Committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors to superintend the erection of the House, we visited the structure yesterday, and inspected, with a good deal of satisfaction, the plan of the edifice. The central portion, designed for the residence of the Superintendent, his family and assistants, is 48 feet by 70, with three full stories and a basement. The latter is divided into dining-room, kitchen, cooking and wash-rooms, each of commodious dimensions. The 1st floor contains the office, receiving-rooms, matron's and guards' room, besides sleeping apartments, halls, stair-cases, closets, &c. Above this are the large pallors, in front, and the hospitals, in the rear. Still above are chambers and a large chapel, or room for religious exercises. From the third floor you ascend to the attic and observatory.
    The north wing, 48 by 85 feet, is the prison for the males confined here. It has three tiers of cells, each cell 4 by 7 feet and 7 feet high. -
The arrangements in this part of the house are complete, and successfully designed alike for the health and security of the inmates. Each cell is provided with a separate process for ventilation. It has a stone floor and ceiling, composed each of a single flag of Medina or Cayuga stone. There are 72 cells in all, and one other tier may be added if required. The south wing is of equal dimensions, but contains only 20 cells, in two tiers. These are for the female convicts. The remainder of the apartment is not put to any use at present. Large windows, each 15 by 3 feet 9 inches, guarded with iron grates, give light to these apartments.
    A brick wall encloses a space of 150 by 218 feet in the rear of the house. This wall is 20 feet high, and one foot in thickness, supported by an antae at every section of eight feet. On the top is a platform for the promenade of the guards while on duty. On the north side of this area the workshop is constructed - a building 24 feet by 100 feet. It is not determined what kind of employment will be prescribed for those sentenced to imprisonment here.
    The washing and cooking are to be done by steam, so far as that agency can be employed. -  A steam engine is placed in the rear basement, where there are soup kettles, cooking range, tubs for boiling water and washing clothes, and all needed facilities for domestic economy. Two large cisterns under the floors supply abundance of water for all uses. A force-pump and pipes supply every apartment where water is required. These arrangements, as well as those for the ventilation of the apartments, are quite perfect.
    The building is now complete, and will be surrendered by the Building Committee at the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors, on Tuesday next, The Committee consists of Messrs. J. VAN ALSTYNE, of Webster; ABRAM DRYER, of Brighton; LEWIS SELYE and JOSHUA CONKEY, of Rochester; S. H. DAVIS, of Sweden; and E. B. TRUE, of Ogden - two from each Assembly District. They have performed their work judiciously and well. The whole cost of the Work House will be about $35,000.
    The building was erected by RICHARD GORSLINE & SON, upon a plan drawn by Mr. SEARL, architect. It was commenced one year since. -  The walls were up and the roof on before the winter set in - a very rapidly executed piece of work, ALBERT ALDRICH did the carpenter work, and H. E. GOODWIN the painting. Ald. BRIGGS constructed the iron work, such us cell doors, window gratings, balustrades, &c. WILLIAM M. TOMPKINS & Co. laid the pipes for conveying hot water from the engine for cooking and washing purposes, and the force pump, and P. R. MORLEY put in the lead piping. It is conceded that the work has been done honestly and well.
    It will be for the Supervisors to accept the building, and put the Penitentiary in operation. The success of the Work House, as a reformatory institution, depends almost entirely upon its management. It should have no connection with politics, and political considerations should be left out of sight in the appointments to be made. We think the matter may be safely trusted with the present Board.

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DIED.
CHAPPELL - In Gates on the 29th inst., Alfred Chappell, brother of James and J. L. Chappell, of this city.

PARKER - In Newark, Wayne county, N. Y, on the 15th inst., after a brief illness, Helen M., second daughter of Dr. E. B. Parker, aged 13 years.
  The deceased, though young, possessed a maturity of far beyond her  years, and the bright evidence which she gave in her every day walk and conversation, that her name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life, is a source of great consolation to her bereaved parents and friends, who were thus suddenly called to part with one, for whose future usefulness, high hopes and expectations had been entertained.  RH