The Alcatraz morgue is a small brick structure built by the Army in 1910 at the entrance to a Civil War-era tunnel. It was rarely used during the prison years.
Details
- Type
- Historic Site
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Origins
The Army built the morgue in 1910 to hold the bodies of the deceased before transport off the island. It was placed at the mouth of an older Civil War tunnel, where thick brick-lined walls that had once kept gunpowder cool and dry also kept the space cold, suitable for holding remains.
Penitentiary years
During the federal penitentiary era the morgue saw almost no use. Records indicate it held a deceased prisoner only once, overnight, until a ferry could carry the body to the mainland the following morning. Deaths on the island were otherwise handled by moving bodies directly off Alcatraz.
Later conversion
The Bureau of Prisons converted the morgue to house a backup generator, which remains visible inside the building today. The small structure is one of the less-visited reminders of the island's military beginnings.