Old Newgate Prison
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Old Newgate Prison was a Colonial American prison in what is now East Granby, Connecticut. It is now a historic site.
The prison was originally a copper mine, opened in 1705. After mining operations proved unprofitable, the colony of Connecticut converted it to a prison, like its London namesake Newgate Prison. The first prisoner John Hinson was committed for burglary in 1773. Later Tories and Loyalists were held here during the Revolutionary War. In 1790 it became a state prison, the first such in America. After the prison closed in 1827 mining operations resumed for a time, but since the 1860s it has been mainly a tourist attraction.
In 1976 Old Newgate Prison was declared a National Historic Landmark. The site is now owned and administered by the State of Connecticut.
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