Ludlow Street Jail

The Essex Market, established in 1818, served as a crucial marketplace for the Lower East Side's working-class residents. 

The original structure was replaced multiple times, with a significant renovation in 1853 incorporating a police station, prison, and courthouse. By 1860, the Eastern Dispensary, which provided medical care to the impoverished, moved into the building. Despite its civic importance, the facility faced criticism for poor conditions. Eventually, market operations relocated, and the building's role evolved to meet the neighborhood’s changing needs.

The jail was completed in June 1862 constructed of Philadelphia brick ornamented with New Jersey freestone trimmings. The facility contained 87 cells, each about 100 square feet. Long, barred windows provided light and air that was ahead of its time.

After it closed, the site is now occupied by the Seward Park Campus which opened in mid-1928.