"Carleton County Gaol" - Ottawa

CARLETON COUNTY GAOL: OTTAWA

Early Bytown was a lawless place. The rustic streets were lined with taverns and brothels; crime and disorder were rampant. Terrified officials decided a jail was needed to house the outlaws of the crass lumber town. The Carleton County Gaol (pronounced 'jail') was built in 1862. Solid stone cells that measured as small at 1x3 meters housed not only convicted felons, but mentally ill individuals and those experiencing homelessness. Part of the jail was a debtors' prison, and those owing money were incarcerated along with their families until the sentence was completed. The women and children, rather than sleeping in cells, shared one big room. Women had to share the bathwater when they bathed each day, the water was always cold and filthy. The jailers were notorious for cruelty, including the torture of prisoners, and countless undocumented executions. One of the most notorious hangings took place in 1869, that of Patrick Whelan. Whelan was accused of murdering popular politician Thomas D'arcy McGee. Superstition states that the execution was performed on an unlucky date, and henceforth, the jail has been haunted by Whelan's restless ghost. The jail closed in 1972, but was shortly thereafter reopened as a youth hostel. Hostellers often hear the sound of laughing children on the upper floors. Death Row was maintained as a museum of the prison's early days. Hostel attendants have found furniture thrown about, beds left standing on end, and cell doors fused shut one moment, then wide open the next. The cells of death row are a full 2-5 degrees colder than the rest of the prison. Even today the atmosphere of the prison is oppressive, the heavy aroma of metal, wood and age still hangs in the air. Though the hostel company no longer maintains any part of the jail as a museum, the Carleton County Gaol is a designated heritage site, and provides shelter for adventurous travelers - and certainly appeals to those with a thirst for the macabre.

This print is a reproduction of a drawing made by Kat Jetté in 2024. The image is printed on Epson archival matte paper and packaged with a foamcore backing. 

Image size: 6 x 4"

Paper size: 8 x 10”

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