EXTENT: 8.25 linear ft. (3 containers and 20 unboxed bound volumes)

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGMENT: Organized into three series: I. Land documents, 1813-1837; II. Photographs, 1918, 1937; III. Periodicals, 1885-1991.  Chronological arrangement within each series. 

history: State correctional facility in Concord, Mass., opened in 1878.  Located in West Concord, the facility was originally called the Concord Reformatory, or Massachusetts Reformatory in Concord.  It is now known as the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord (MCI Concord).  In the late 19^th and early 20^th century, the prison was important to the community because it provided employment opportunities for local people, and also because local businesses contracted inmate labor.

Scope and Content: Collections includes: plan of John Conant Farm (1813) and deed for what eventually became prison land from Henry Wright to the Town of Concord (1821, with addenda 1835 and 1837); two photographs of prison employees (1918 and 1937, the 1937 photograph—three copies of which are included in the collection—a composite also showing the building and grounds); and issues of four prison periodicals—Our Paper (issues for 1885-1918, 1930-1932, 1934-1936, 1938-1942, 1945-1946), Peaceful Movement, later called Prisoners’ Peaceful Movement (issues for 1971-1975), No Holds Barred (issues for 1976-1976), and Concord Community: Inside/Outside (issues for 1980-1991).

SOURCES OF ACQUISITION: Multiple; only partially established.  1918 photograph: gift of Bill Bailey, 1992.  1937 photograph: one copy gift of Mary Connorton, 1985; one copy gift of George W. Parker, 2001 Apr.; one copy gift of Joan Carlson, 2006 May 24..

PROVENANCE: Established for two items: Connorton copy of 1937 photograph passed on by John J. Connorton to Mary Connorton; volumes of Our Paper formerly part of the collection of Peter Tufts Wetherbee.

RELATED MATERIALS:  This is an artificially created collection of materials relating to the Concord Reformatory/MCI Concord.  It does not constitute the official records of the prison, which are state records.  For further information about the location and availability of Massachusetts prison records, contact the Massachusetts Archives at Columbia Point.

NOTES/COMMENTS:  Includes items transferred from the old CFPL Letter File and from the former Basement Pamphlet Collection.  Manuscript plan and deed: formerly Letter File 7, C26 a and b; transferred 1995 Mar.  Peaceful Movement, No Holds Barred, Concord Community: Inside/Outside: transferred from the Basement Pamphlet Collection, 1993.

PROCESSED BY: LPW; finding aid prepared 07/04/95.  Prepared for the Internet by Peter K. Steinberg, 05/30/06. Revised by RCWH, 02/07/07.

CONTAINER LIST

SERIES I. LAND DOCUMENTS, 1813-1837:

Box 1, Folder 1:
Plan of John Conant Farm (1813) and deed for what eventually became prison land from Henry Wright to the Town of Concord (1821, with addenda 1835 and 1837).

SERIES II. PHOTOGRAPHS, 1918, 1937:

Box 1, Unfoldered:
Two photographs of prison employees (1918 and 1937, the 1937 photograph a composite also showing the building and grounds).  Note: There are three copies of the 1937 photograph in the collection.

SERIES II. PERIODICALS, 1885-1991:

Shelved unboxed:
Our Paper: bound issues for 1885-1918, 1930-1932, 1934-1936, 1938-1942.

Box 2, Folder 1:
Our Paper: unbound issues for 1945.

Box 2, Folder 2:
Our Paper: unbound issues for 1946.

 

Box 3, Folder 1:
Peaceful Movement (later called Prisoners’ Peaceful Movement): unbound issues for 1971-1975.

Box 3, Folder 2:
No Holds Barred: unbound issues for 1975-1976.

Box 3, Folder 3:
Concord Community: Inside/Outside: unbound issues for 1980-1991.

c2006 Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.
Not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the Curator of Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library.

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Mounted 17th June 2006.    rcwh.