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Catskill jail may be the last of its kind

Dec 05, 2019 12:55 am
Sarah Trafton reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Dutch American Architectural Group says the former Greene County Jail may be the only one of its kind left in the world. The Greene County Legislature wants to tear it down. The jail on Bridge Street in Catskill was built in 1908, and the jail and neighboring sheriff’s office are listed on both state and national historic registries. It was built with Ohio sandstone by Van Dorn in Cleveland, Ohio, and shipped to Catskill where the parts were brought up Bridge Street by horse. “The facades were never changed and represent a high quality jail of 1908,” a report from the Dutch American Architectural Group in collaboration with Historic Catskill. “All handmade with limited tools. It is rare and of exceptional architectonic value. The originality of this jail is rare and therefore it has a high Cultural Heritage value. This can be the only jail of this size and make in the world.” A similar jail complex was built in Oswego County in 1909 and demolished in 2018. Greene County says it would cost $4.8 million to demolish the jail and rehabilitate the other buildings, $10.7 million to renovate the entire complex, and $1.2 million to tear it all down and put up a new office building. Estimates from Barton & Loguidice are lower: $1.9 million to demolish the jail and rehabilitate the other buildings, $4.6 million to renovate all the buildings, and $1 million to tear the buildings down and put up a new 5,000-square-foot building. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.