History key to saving Maine’s prison

Despite the opposition of a few, and under the urging of many, the Maine State Prison in Thomaston will be razed. But more than bricks and granite will be bulldozed into the abandoned quarry where prisoners once worked and turned profits for the state. A long and integral part of the region’s history will be permanently buried, as will the opportunity to preserve the prison as a significant cultural asset. This does not have to be the case.

Across the country, and indeed, all over the world, historic prisons are being preserved as important cultural heritage and historic sites. Not only does the preservation of significant cultural heritage and historic sites enrich the lives of local citizens, but also it can bring some economic benefits as a part of the growing cultural, arts, and heritage tourism market.

A glimpse of what the future could hold for the Thomaston prison as a historic site was seen recently as more than 10,000 visitors toured the prison and spent more than $15,000 in the prison showroom. Warden Jeffrey Merrill attributed the large numbers to the fact that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the public to see the inside of the historic prison. However, by demolishing this site many thousands more are being denied this very opportunity.

Take a moment to imagine the prison as a preserved historic site. Imagine historic prison tours given by trained living history interpreters, which could include past inmates and guards. Imagine the opportunity to experience the history lying deep within the walls of Thomaston waiting to be discovered after nearly 180 years of confinement. It is not hard to imagine at all, as this is already happening elsewhere, and there is a proven market for this type of tourism product. The prison showroom alone has proven to be an attraction for visitors (which is planned to remain open after the prison’s demolition). Preserved, promoted, and marketed alongside the prison showroom, the historic prison “could be an amazing tourist attraction” (a visitor to the prison quoted by the Bangor Daily News, Feb. 25).

One has only to look at what others are doing, and to look at cultural heritage and historic tourism trends to see that this is a realistic option for Thomaston. The historic West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville attracts more than 20,000 visitors annually, and the Ohio State Reformatory (where much of the movie “The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed) offers prison tours, mystery tours, and is also privately funded. The list goes on to include the Colorado Territorial Museum (where you can be strapped in to an actual gas chamber if you wish), the Wyoming Frontier Prison, which closed in 1982 and reopened shortly after as a historic site, and the Huntsville, Texas driving prison tour of eight area prisons. Of course, one cannot forget Alcatraz, which is managed by the National Park Service as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

So who are these visitors who would come to Thomaston to see a historic prison? They are a part of the growing cultural heritage and historic tourism market. According to a 1997 study by the Travel Industry Association of America, 65.9 million Americans (25 percent of adults in the United States) took a trip that included a historic place. They spent $615 per trip versus $425 for other travelers, and 45 percent of them “loved to shop.” According to travel and tourism industry experts, cultural heritage and history tourism will play a more pivotal role in both urban and rural economic development. Cultural tourism also stimulates private investment, and civic investment in cultural events and historic preservation. This can be seen already in the Rockland-Thomaston area, and the addition of Thomaston prison as a historic site will only continue the trend.

When the historic Freemantle Prison in Australia was planning to be closed in 1990, the Australian government launched intensive investigations and research into the prison site and its history and heritage potential. Today, Freemantle Prison is one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites. The demolition of the Thomaston prison without such a study will not only deny the citizens of Maine a unique opportunity to experience a part of Maine’s history first hand, but it will also deny the Thomaston area the opportunity to realize the benefits of cultural heritage and historic tourism.

A comprehensive study looking into the historical significance of both the prison building at Thomaston and the on-site quarry needs to be undertaken. The fact that it has not, leads me to ask some very important questions. First, has the State Historic Preservation Officer evaluated the historical significance of the prison or the quarry, and determined whether either is eligible for inclusion on the National Historic Register? It is almost certain that Granite quarried by prisoners at Thomaston was used for buildings of historical significance in Portland, Boston, or other major cities on the East Coast.

Second, do we know exactly what is going to be buried when the building is bulldozed into the quarry? There is a legitimate environmental concern here. Third, is there a process in place to preserve antique and historic artifacts before the building is demolished? Fourth, and finally, is the demolition of the Thomaston prison an appropriate use of nearly $3 million of the state’s Rainy Day Fund?

These questions should be answered before demolition begins and a sad irony is played out in Thomaston: the needless and costly demolition of a potentially significant State Historic Park to create, well, a park.

Marc Edwards is a graduate student in Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the University of Maine and lives in Bangor.