New York City's Federal prison. Some prisoners, such as soldiers, were held there temporarily awaiting extradition to other jurisdictions, but most of the inmates were debtors imprisoned by their creditors. The two most famous inmates of the Ludlow Street Jail were Victoria Woodhull and Boss Tweed.
Constructed, June, 1862
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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.
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After it closed, the site is now occupied by the Seward Park Campus which opened in mid-1928.
