By Kathy Brown.
My family decided to walk on down to the historic Haddam Jail and check out their Cell Block Tales Tour yesterday. It was a chance to see inside the jail, as well as learn some history about it, and hear the tales of some of the 19th and 20th century criminals who had been incarcerated there over the years.
According to Lisa Malloy, Executive Director of the Haddam Historical Society, she “does all the research on the criminals using records and newspaper articles. I try to pick a range of crimes and have both men and women.” And luckily for us, she has “a file full of future people to portray!”
The Jail was constructed between 1845 and 1847 out of granite from the quarry right nearby. The jail was enlarged in 1855 and 1876. The Jail closed in 1969-70, and then it was used as a training academy for the Department of Corrections, according to Ms. Malloy.
Yesterday’s “criminals” were Thomas Mack, played by Dave Maher, Kate Rich, played by Christa Douyard, Mrs. Harper, played by Dawn Alger, and Patrick Moriarty, played by Rich Wills. This year, the Haddam Historical Society partnered with a newly established local theater group, Blue Fire Stage Company for some of their actors, while Haddam Historical Society volunteers also participated.
There were volunteers available from the Haddam Historical Society to lead the tours, as well as answer questions. And at the end of the tour, people had an opportunity to pose as a criminal behind bars for photos.
In case you missed it, there’s one more chance for a tour this year: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $5 per person (children under 12 are free).
Photos by Kathy Brown.
