Alton Military Prison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Alton Military Prison Site
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Overview of the site
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Inside the block bounded by Broadway and William, 4th, and Mill Sts. |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | Illinois State Prison (1833) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000766 |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 1974 |
| Location | Alton, Illinois, United States |
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| Security class | First Illinois state penitentiary and Union prisoner of war camp for detaining military personnel of the Confederate States of America |
| Capacity | 1833 (24 cells), 1857 (256 cells), American Civil War 11,000? |
| Closed | 1865 and later demolished |
| Former name | Illinois State Prison |
| Managed by | Illinois Department of Corrections (1833-1857) Union Army (1862-1865) |
The Alton Military Prison was once a very important building in Alton, Illinois. It started in 1833 as the first state prison in Illinois. It closed in 1857.
Later, during the American Civil War, the prison reopened in 1862. It was used to hold Confederate soldiers captured during the war. The prison closed for good when the war ended in 1865.
The original prison building was torn down a short time after the Civil War. Today, only a small part of a wall remains. This wall is kept safe by the State of Illinois as a historic site. The prison site is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
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A Look Back: Alton Prison's Story
The Alton Military Prison has a long and interesting history. It served two very different purposes during its time.
Illinois' First State Prison (1833-1857)
In 1833, the Illinois State Prison was built in Alton. It was the very first state prison in Illinois. When it first opened, it had twenty-four prison cells.
By 1857, the prison closed down. A new, larger state prison was built in Joliet to replace it. When the Alton prison closed, it had grown to have two hundred fifty-six cells.
Both men and women were held at the Alton Penitentiary. From 1835 to 1858, about sixty-five women and three thousand men were sent there. Women stayed for about 0.9 years on average. Many were later pardoned by the governor.
Alton Prison During the Civil War (1862-1865)
In 1862, the United States government reopened the prison. This was during the American Civil War. It was used to hold prisoners of war from the Confederate side.
Over 11,000 prisoners were held at Alton during the war. This included a Confederate officer named Ebenezer Magoffin. Sadly, many prisoners died at Alton. Diseases like smallpox and rubella were common. Records show that 1,534 Confederate soldiers died there. Many Union soldiers and civilians also passed away at the prison.
Alton Prison Today: A Historic Site
The Alton prison closed again in 1865. The building was later taken down. All that is left of the old prison is a small section of a wall.
This important site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1974. It is also part of the Christian Hill Historic District. That district was listed on the National Register in 1978. The State of Illinois now takes care of the Alton prison site. It is a special state historic site.
Images for kids
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Overview of the site
