The original entrance to the Prison.. Or "The Mouth Of Hell" as they called it then. There was a ladder going up and at night after all the inmates would go down, the guards would pull up the ladder and shout the grid and lock it, then leave the building above and lock the heavy wooden door. Old New Gate Prison and Copper Mine.. East Granby, CT.

Ruins of the "New" Prison.. New gate soon had too many Inmates to keep "Down in hell" so they built an above ground unit, but because of heat in summer and freezing cold in winter, Inmates often chose to live in the mines where its a constant 59 degrees F and there were no bugs, rodents and weather.The New building housed "about 200 or more" inmates, sleeping two to a bunk! The Building was eventualy destroyed by a fire, set by the Inmates. Old New Gate Prison, East Granby CT.

One of the "tunnels" for miners and prisoners to move around in. Old New Gate Prison and Copper Mine.. East Granby, CT.