The Alcatraz cellhouse is the large concrete prison building at the top of the island, built between 1910 and 1912 while Alcatraz was still an Army military prison.
Details
- Type
- Historic Site
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Construction
The Army built the cellhouse on the site of the earlier citadel, completing it in 1912. The three-story, steel-reinforced concrete structure held about 600 cells, each roughly five by nine feet, arranged in four cellblocks. When finished it was among the largest reinforced-concrete buildings in the world.
Federal penitentiary use
When the Bureau of Prisons took over in 1934, crews reinforced the cell fronts and bars to reduce the chance of escape. The four cellblocks held the general population, while D-Block was used for segregation and solitary confinement of the most difficult inmates. The hospital wing, above the dining area, treated sick prisoners and at times isolated specific inmates, including Robert Stroud, from the rest of the population.
Visiting
The cellhouse is the centerpiece of a visit to Alcatraz. Visitors walk the cellblocks, the dining hall, and D-Block, and can see the recreation yard. The building has stood empty since the penitentiary closed in 1963, and the bare cells and corridors remain much as they were left.