THE STONE PRISON, SOUTH WEST CORNER OF THIRD AND HIGH STREETS. (ILLUSTRATED BY A PLATE.} "There see the rock-built prison's dreadful face." POEM. [1729.] AS the city enlarged its bounds by increase of population it became necessary to seek out a new prison establishment of greater dimensions, and with more room about it—such as could be then found well out of the town. All those advantages were deemed sufficiently attained when they accomplished this stone prison, under the act of Assembly of 1718. As it was a very popular measure, it appears that in the year 1717, sundry persons offered large subscriptions towards defraying the expense of it, and "to be made upon the ground intended for that use,"-besides this, the Grand Jury joined in recommending a tax on the city and county for effecting the same. When finished, about the year 1723, the pile consisted of a two story stone building, fronting on High street, for the debtors jail, and another two story similar building, fronting on Third street, for the criminals, called the workhouse-the latter some distance from the former, but joined to it by a high wall forming a part of the yard-enclosure. The buildings were of hewn stone; half of the cellar story was above ground; the roofs were sharp pitched, and the garrets furnished rooms for prisoners. As population increased, even this place was found too much in the town, and another remove had to be made to the Walnut street prison by Sixth street. This was done in 1784-the year in which the prisons spoken of in this article, were demolished. The aged Mrs. Shoemaker, who died in 1825, at the age of 95 years, told me, when she was a girl she could easily, from Third street near the prison, look over to Fourth street, so as to see the people walking the streets-meaning thereby there were not houses enough then built up to intercept the view. The Dock creek was also open then, and showed a considerable gully. There were also several paths by which to make a short cut across the square. I observed several evidences on the old houses on the northern side of High street near this prison, to indicate that the former 506 The Stone Prison, S. W. corner of Third and High Streets. grounds in this neighbourhood were originally three feet higher than now. As early as the year 1708, it was complained of by the Grand Jury, as having no proper water-passage then, so that the crossing there was much impeded by a deep dirty place where the public water gathers and stops for want of a passage, to the great damage of the neighbourhood." 66 In 1729, some city poet has given some graphic touches of the neighbourhood, to wit: "Thence half a furlong west, declining pace, And wheelwrights' frames-with vacant lots "to let”— From trades-from prison grates-and public inns!" Kalm, who was here in 1748, speaks of those furnaces, saying "they have several about the town for melting iron out of ore." The barbarous appendages of whippingpost, pillory and stocks were placed full in the public eye, hard by, on High street directly in front of the market, and on the eastern side of Third street. The last remembered exhibition there was that of a genteel storekeeper, -quite as clever as several who now escape. He had made too free with other names to support his sinking credit, and there made his amends, by having his face pelted with innumerable eggs, and his cars clipt adroitly by the "delicate pocket scissors" of the Sheriff-he holding up his clippings to the gaze and shouts of the populace! These barbarous measures of punishment were not in accordance with the spirit and feelings of our forefathers, who early aimed at commuting work and confinement for crime; but the parent country, familiar with its sanguinary code, always revoked the laws formed upon our schemes of reformation. They therefore generally prevailed till the time of our self-government, when measures were speedily taken, first by societies of citizens, and afterwards by the Legislature, to introduce those reforms into prison discipline, &c. which have made our city and State to be celebrated for its early "Penitentiary System." The measures pursued by the Society formed in 1787, for alleviating the miseries of public prisons," form already a small history, which may be profitably read in the book called "Notices of the Prison," &c. by Roberts Vaux, Esq. MARKET HOUSES. PHILADELPHIA has long been distinguished for its long range of market buildings, and equally so for the general excellence of its marketing. It is not much known, however, that it was not according to the original plan of the city to have such an extended market house, and still less to have had it located in High street. Penn expected it to have been placed at the Centre Square, in the event of settling the chief population there. We shall see in the course of the present notice, that objections were from time to time made against the extension of markets in High street; and Proud has called it "a shameful and inconvenient obstruction." The first notice of a permanent market house appears in the minutes of City Council in July, 1709, to wit-"The new market house being thought to be of great service to the town, 'twas put to the vote how money should be raised for the doing thereof, and voted that every Alderman shall contribute and pay double what the Common Council-men should do." And in May, 1710, it was unanimously agreed that it should be built up with all expedition. It appeared that the members severally subscribed the fund necessary as a loan, to be repaid to them out of the rents from the butchThe market so made extended from the court house about half-way to Third street. ers. In January, 1729, the Council agreed to erect twenty stalls on the site of the present Jersey market, for the accommodation of such as brought provisions from the Jerseys. In 1737, the Clerk of the market complained to the Council of several nuisances-"that of persons who blow their meat-selling goods-bringing empty carts and lying of horses in the market place." In a poetic description of High street in 1729, the court house and market house are thus described, to wit: "An yew bow's distance from the key-built strand Here, eastward, stand the traps for obloquy |