Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine

The Mine Entrance

This staircase was constructed in 1972 to provide easier access for visitors. For hundreds of years, the only way in or out was a ladder!

Lodging Area

Prisoners slept in wooden cabins in this large open space. No traces of these structures remain.

Stone Steps

Take a closer look: these stone steps were carved by the colonial miners and have been worn smooth by time and the footsteps of miners, prisoners, and tourists.

Original Entrance

A ladder in this shaft provided the only access into the mine. When the mining stopped and the tunnels were turned into a prison, the guardhouse was built on top of this shaft to prevent prisoner escapes. Click the floor icon in lower left and choose 2 to go up the shaft.

Copper Ore

As you click through the virtual mine, keep your eyes peeled for green rock like you see here. This is the valuable copper ore that the miners were digging out. Their work created the tunnels you are clicking through now. The Indigenous people in Connecticut taught British colonists where to find copper.

Rubble

This rubble would not have been here when these tunnels were used to confine prisoners. After the prison closed, mining companies returned to this site and this rubble is from their mining attempts.

Water Droplets

Watch for water droplets like these as you explore the virtual mine. Water is always dripping from the ceiling because of rainwater soaking through the ground.

The Well

This well provided water and a little bit of sunlight to prisoners. Without access to lamps or candles, you can imagine how dark it was for the prisoners who lived down here.

Entrance to Solitary

This small doorway leads to the solitary confinement chamber.

Solitary Confinement

A prisoner would have been chained in this chamber as punishment. The hard stone walls of this chamber reflect noise and cause a loud echo.

Flooded Tunnels

This mining tunnel is flooded because of the height of the water table. Miners were able to dig these tunnels with the help of additional workers who pumped out water. The remains of an old wooden pipe used to drain water out of the mine can be seen here.

Tunnels

Look up! These tool marks tell us how this tunnel was constructed. Keep your eyes peeled for more gouges like these ones as you click through the virtual mine.

Under the Road

This part of the mine is underneath Newgate Road, outside of the prison walls. Here you are 75 feet underground.[Click HERE to transport straight up to the street!](https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=PwPvzQac8kU&cloudEdit=1&sr=-3.02,-.07&ss=341)

Abandoned Tunnel

This area is closed for safety reasons but the darkness gives you an idea of what conditions were like for miners and prisoners.

Copper Ore

This copper ore shows up as a distinct layer! The layers above and below the green layer have no copper because they are more dense. The green layer is more porous, which allowed copper to be deposited in the rock millions of years ago.

Drainage Tunnel

This drainage tunnel was dug out by the miners to move the water away from their work. You can tell how wet it is down here even after this improvement was made.

Copper Ore

This bright green rock is copper ore! It may not look much like copper metal, but the metal is distributed within the rock and can be pulled out in a process called smelting.

Tool Marks

These drill holes tell us how the miners dug out the copper ore. Colonial miners would have used hand tools, nothing like the drills we use today. Later miners in the 1800s would have used steam powered drills.

Spiral Staircase

After the mining years ended and the prison opened, this shaft was filled in with stones to prevent prisoner escapes. The spiral staircase you see today is a modern safety measure.

Ore Shaft

This shaft was created to allow the miners to haul the copper ore out of the ground more easily. They would have had an old-fashioned device called a whim that used animals to pull up the heavy rocks.

Water Droplets

Did you remember to watch for water droplets?

Abandoned Tunnel

This area is closed for safety reasons but the darkness gives you an idea of what conditions were like for miners and prisoners.

Visitor Center

Gift Shop and Restrooms

Nail Shop

In a brick 30' x 40' building which stood here, prisoners, chained to forges, made nails which were sold to cover the costs of the prison.Prisoners who did not make their daily quota could be punished by whipping. That building was taken down in the 1830's by the Phoenix Mining Company whoc onstructed the stone structure whose ruins you see now.

Well

The well was excavated in 1777 to provide water for the prison.The well shaft extends through a mine tunnel - when you are down below, look up to see the sky!

Perimeter Wall

The 12 feet walls were constructed in 1802 to replace a spike-topped wooden fence and to enclose a larger area to meet growing prison needs.

Original Prison Entrance

The entrance wall is 3 feet thick at its base and 1 1/2 feet thick at its top.

Ore Shaft

A modern sentry box covers the 70 foot deep shaft used by the miners to bring up the excavated copper ore with a windlass. It is now an emergency exit.

Chapel

Built in 1805 as the "Upper Prison", this structure was later dedicated as a chapel in 1815, which accommodated 250 people under prison chaplain, The Reverend  Rosseter. The public was welcome to worship here with the prisoners.

Workshop

Prisoners made shoes, barrels and other items for sale here.When first constructed in 1803, the building also served as a kitchen and hospital.

Cell Block

A four-story cell block was built in 1824 to provide improved living conditions for the increasing number of prisoners. Later an observation deck was constructed on top to offer tourists dramatic vistas of the Farmington Valley. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1904

Guardhouse

Built in 1790 and expanded in 1819, this is the only structure surviving from the prison days.The Main floor provided housing for the prison keeper and his family and the guards. The lower level was used for storage and for use by inmates. After the prison closed, this building became a private home. In the 1920's it was remoedled into a dance hall and subsequently exhibit space. 

Original Entrance Into Mine

The miners, and later the prisoners, climbed up and down a ladder in this 3 foot diameter shaft to go in and out of the mine. To control the prisoners, the guardhouse was built directly on top of the shaft.

Entrance to the Jug Cells

The Mine

Miners used pickaxes and black powder  to blast deep underground in their search for copper ore.[Click HERE to descend into the Copper Mine.](https://my.matterport.com/show/?play=1&sr=-.57,-1.38&ss=81&m=PwPvzQac8kU)

Latrine

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Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine
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Points of Interest
The Copper Mine
the mine entrance this staircase was constructed in 1972 to provide easier access for visitors. for hundreds of years, the only way in or out was a ladder! The Mine Entrance lodging area prisoners slept in wooden cabins in this large open space. no traces of these structures remain. Lodging Area stone steps take a closer look: these stone steps were carved by the colonial miners and have been worn smooth by time and the footsteps of miners, prisoners, and tourists. Stone Steps original entrance a ladder in this shaft provided the only access into the mine. when the mining stopped and the tunnels were turned into a prison, the guardhouse was built on top of this shaft to prevent prisoner escapes. click the floor icon in lower left and choose 2 to go up the shaft. Original Entrance copper ore as you click through the virtual mine, keep your eyes peeled for green rock like you see here. this is the valuable copper ore that the miners were digging out. their work created the tunnels you are clicking through now. the indigenous people in connecticut taught british colonists where to find copper. Copper Ore rubble this rubble would not have been here when these tunnels were used to confine prisoners. after the prison closed, mining companies returned to this site and this rubble is from their mining attempts. Rubble water droplets watch for water droplets like these as you explore the virtual mine. water is always dripping from the ceiling because of rainwater soaking through the ground. Water Droplets the well this well provided water and a little bit of sunlight to prisoners. without access to lamps or candles, you can imagine how dark it was for the prisoners who lived down here. The Well entrance to solitary this small doorway leads to the solitary confinement chamber. Entrance to Solitary solitary confinement a prisoner would have been chained in this chamber as punishment. the hard stone walls of this chamber reflect noise and cause a loud echo. Solitary Confinement flooded tunnels this mining tunnel is flooded because of the height of the water table. miners were able to dig these tunnels with the help of additional workers who pumped out water. the remains of an old wooden pipe used to drain water out of the mine can be seen here. Flooded Tunnels tunnels look up! these tool marks tell us how this tunnel was constructed. keep your eyes peeled for more gouges like these ones as you click through the virtual mine. Tunnels under the road this part of the mine is underneath newgate road, outside of the prison walls. here you are 75 feet underground.click here to transport straight up to the street! Under the Road abandoned tunnel this area is closed for safety reasons but the darkness gives you an idea of what conditions were like for miners and prisoners. Abandoned Tunnel copper ore this copper ore shows up as a distinct layer! the layers above and below the green layer have no copper because they are more dense. the green layer is more porous, which allowed copper to be deposited in the rock millions of years ago. Copper Ore drainage tunnel this drainage tunnel was dug out by the miners to move the water away from their work. you can tell how wet it is down here even after this improvement was made. Drainage Tunnel copper ore this bright green rock is copper ore! it may not look much like copper metal, but the metal is distributed within the rock and can be pulled out in a process called smelting. Copper Ore tool marks these drill holes tell us how the miners dug out the copper ore. colonial miners would have used hand tools, nothing like the drills we use today. later miners in the 1800s would have used steam powered drills. Tool Marks spiral staircase after the mining years ended and the prison opened, this shaft was filled in with stones to prevent prisoner escapes. the spiral staircase you see today is a modern safety measure. Spiral Staircase ore shaft this shaft was created to allow the miners to haul the copper ore out of the ground more easily. they would have had an old-fashioned device called a whim that used animals to pull up the heavy rocks. Ore Shaft water droplets did you remember to watch for water droplets? Water Droplets abandoned tunnel this area is closed for safety reasons but the darkness gives you an idea of what conditions were like for miners and prisoners. Abandoned Tunnel
The Grounds
visitor center gift shop and restrooms Visitor Center nail shop in a brick 30' x 40' building which stood here, prisoners, chained to forges, made nails which were sold to cover the costs of the prison.prisoners who did not make their daily quota could be punished by whipping. that building was taken down in the 1830's by the phoenix mining company whoc onstructed the stone structure whose ruins you see now. Nail Shop well the well was excavated in 1777 to provide water for the prison.the well shaft extends through a mine tunnel - when you are down below, look up to see the sky! Well perimeter wall the 12 feet walls were constructed in 1802 to replace a spike-topped wooden fence and to enclose a larger area to meet growing prison needs. Perimeter Wall original prison entrance the entrance wall is 3 feet thick at its base and 1 1/2 feet thick at its top. Original Prison Entrance ore shaft a modern sentry box covers the 70 foot deep shaft used by the miners to bring up the excavated copper ore with a windlass. it is now an emergency exit. Ore Shaft chapel built in 1805 as the "upper prison", this structure was later dedicated as a chapel in 1815, which accommodated 250 people under prison chaplain, the reverend  rosseter. the public was welcome to worship here with the prisoners. Chapel workshop prisoners made shoes, barrels and other items for sale here.when first constructed in 1803, the building also served as a kitchen and hospital. Workshop cell block a four-story cell block was built in 1824 to provide improved living conditions for the increasing number of prisoners. later an observation deck was constructed on top to offer tourists dramatic vistas of the farmington valley. the building was destroyed by a fire in 1904 Cell Block guardhouse built in 1790 and expanded in 1819, this is the only structure surviving from the prison days.the main floor provided housing for the prison keeper and his family and the guards. the lower level was used for storage and for use by inmates. after the prison closed, this building became a private home. in the 1920's it was remoedled into a dance hall and subsequently exhibit space.  Guardhouse original entrance into mine the miners, and later the prisoners, climbed up and down a ladder in this 3 foot diameter shaft to go in and out of the mine. to control the prisoners, the guardhouse was built directly on top of the shaft. Original Entrance Into Mine entrance to the jug cells Entrance to the Jug Cells the mine miners used pickaxes and black powder  to blast deep underground in their search for copper ore.click here to descend into the copper mine. The Mine latrine Latrine
Welcome

Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine
Email: Newgate.museum@ct.gov
 (860) 653-3563
Website Link

115 Newgate Road East Granby Hartford County 06026
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