18th Century Jail Discovered During Construction In Old City
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Suit Corner on Market Street is overflowing with inventory, but it's not because business is bad. It's the physical space.
"We have no room here. We have no storage," owner Jerry Ginsberg told Eyewitness News.
Ginsberg and his son Gary own the store, but the two still miss their original location of almost 60 years. It was located at the corner of Third and Market in Old City. It burned to the ground in 2014 because of faulty wiring, forcing the family business to move. The subject is still painful.
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"Sometimes I close my eyes and think that's a dream," Ginsberg said.
A phone call last week brought back 60 years of memories that almost knocked Ginsberg to the floor. He learned construction crews found two brick arches on the property while digging. They were once part of a prison known as the Stone Prison.
"I was told these old tales that this was a jail cell and it went to Dock Street," he said.
Ginsberg never told a soul, even when he first heard about it almost 60 years ago.
"I was curious but I was always worried. I was very skeptical about mentioning to anybody because I said if make a big deal out of it I'll lose my building and I'll have nowhere to go," he said.
City archives show the prison was built in 1722, 54 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Edward Mauger is a Philadelphia historian and founder of Philadelphia on Foot tours. He said the Stone Prison was the city's fourth prison. "They always had the prisoners come to Market Street because they wanted to display them," Mauger said.
Mauger says the Stone Prison lasted most of the eighteenth century. The prison eventually closed as the city progressed, but it's an important reminder of what once was. "It's one of the most wonderful things about history, is when it's newly discovered," Mauger said.
The discovery inspired Ginsberg who turned tragedy into a new passion for history. He can't get enough of the Stone Prison. "It leads to something mysterious," he said.
