A unique tourist attraction in St. Andrews, N.B., is offering a glimpse into a historic Maritime jail where old-time punishment was handed out.
The Charlotte County Jail first opened in 1832, and was used up into the 1970s to house prisoners.
Local historians say the old jail is a grim chapter from the past.
"I think everyone finds it really interesting to see what it was like, how horrific the conditions were like for prisoners in 1832 when the jail was first opened," said archivist Anice Fairney.
Jail guide Alan Jones says it’s something a lot of people want to see.
"There's a lot more interest than I thought there would be,” said Jones. “I've been to St. Andrews before but never heard of the jail or the courthouse … People from all over the world coming."
The jail log shows that some of the prisoners were there just for the crime of being in debt. Prisoners were confined to cells that were two-by-three metres at most.
"This is absolutely amazing,” said North Carolina resident Gwen Taylor. “We love the size of the jails. People say this is what we ought to be having today.
"Once you see the cells and the kind of conditions the inmates had to go through, it’s kind of unbelievable," said St. Andrews Tourism operator Genny Simard.
Even more unbelievable was how long the old jail was in use.
"That’s what shocked me, that we were still putting people in here in 1979,” said Jones. “The conditions here are abhorrent. They're awful. I could not believe it.”
For generations the jail was a place to avoid, though now, it's become a popular attraction where visitors can put themselves behind bars.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.
