At over a century old, Vaughan Street Jail is one of the oldest jails in the city of Winnipeg. Construction started on this historic landmark in 1881 and completed in 1883.
Vaughan Street Jail was designed by architect Walter Chesterton and partially inspired by the architecture of the Italian Renaissance. With its cold stone walls and fortress-like appearance, Chesterton hoped that the jail’s bleak appearance would convey a stern warning to potential criminals.
Harsh conditions were common at the jail. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lacklustre medical care were common issues. The jail also held both male and female inmates, as well as children, with one reportedly being as young as five.
Some of the inmates were petty thieves, while others were more serious criminals, like arsonists and murderers. Some of the crimes that got prisoners locked up in prison included the following:
- Murder
- Violent robbery
- Mental insanity
- Cattle theft
- Providing alcohol to “Indians”
- Possession of stolen property
- Knowing girls carnally under the age of 14
- Theft of an iron
The Jail’s east wing was reserved for those who committed less serious offences, while the west wing housed the more serious offenders.
Vaughn Street Jail was also the site of several executions. Serial killer Earle “The Strangler” Nelson was executed here. Originally from California, he made his way north, first to Portland, and then eventually to Winnipeg, committing heinous crimes along the way. Shortly after arriving in Winnipeg, he was accused of murdering fourteen-year-old Lola Cowan and twenty-seven-year-old Emily Patterson. Tried for the latter crime, he was convicted and hung in 1928.
Two years later, in 1930, the jail doors were shut for good. While the jail is no longer holding inmates, the doors have been opened annually for guided tours, during Doors Open Winnipeg, a day when most historic sites in Winnipeg are open to visitors.
The legacy of the jail still lives on today. Tours through the jail, offer a glimpse into the darker parts of Winnipeg’s past and display how the city’s, and Canada’s, treatment of criminals have changed, for better, and for worse.
