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Suffolk County Jail
Photo: McIntyre, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Suffolk County Jail

Also known as Charles Street Jail

On the National Register since 198046 years
Boston GraniteListed 1980Boston
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Suffolk County Jail

Suffolk County Jail, at 215 Charles St., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Apr 23, 1980. The Register lists it for its architecture and social history, at the national level. It describes its style as Boston Granite, as it does for 2 other Massachusetts listings. Four more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isFormer prison in Boston. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 42 MB · National Archives↗
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 10 minutes

215 Charles St., Boston · about 0.4 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Suffolk County JailStart here
  2. 2Massachusetts General HospitalClassical Revival · 0.1 mi on
  3. 3Ether Dome, Massachusetts General HospitalGreek Revival · next door
  4. 4(First) Harrison Gray Otis HouseAdamesque · Built 1795 · 0.2 mi on
  5. 5Old West ChurchFederal · Built 1806 · next door
Around it

25 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

★Beacon Hill Historic DistrictAdamesque0.2 miBFaneuil, Peter, SchoolClassical Revival · Built 19090.2 mi★Francis Parkman HouseBuilt 18240.3 mi★Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe HouseGeorgian · Built 18050.3 miB(Second) Harrison Gray Otis HouseBuilt 18020.3 miDBoston African American National Historic Site (Additional Documentation)District0.3 mi★African MeetinghouseFederal0.3 mi★William C. Nell HouseBuilding0.3 mi★Charles Sumner HouseFederal0.3 mi★Headquarters HouseBuilt 18080.4 mi★David Sears HouseAdamesque · Built 18160.4 mi★Nathan Appleton ResidenceBuilt 18180.4 mi★Massachusetts StatehouseFederal · Built 17980.4 miDCharles River Basin Historic DistrictDistrict0.4 miBBuilding at 138-142 Portland StreetBeaux Arts · Built 18960.4 mi★Gibson HouseSecond Empire · Built 18600.5 miDBoston Common and Public GardenVictorian0.5 mi★Boston CommonDistrict0.5 mi
Show the other 7
DPark Street DistrictFederal0.5 mi★Chester Harding HouseFederal · Built 18090.5 mi★Boston AthenaeumPalladian · Built 18070.5 miBBoston Transit Commission BuildingClassical Revival · Built 19030.5 miBJohn Adams CourthouseVictorian · Built 18850.5 miBJohn F. Kennedy Federal BuildingBuilding0.5 miDBulfinch Triangle Historic DistrictSecond Empire0.5 mi
More like it

Boston Granite style, nearby

Other National Register listings within 25 miles described as Boston Granite.

Sears' Crescent and Sears' Block0.6 mi away
Dudley Station Historic District2.3 mi away

Memories of Suffolk County Jail

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Suffolk County Jail

Is Suffolk County Jail on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Apr 23, 1980 (Register number 80000670).

Is Suffolk County Jail a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Massachusetts has 189 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Massachusetts General Hospital, 0.1 miles away.

Can you visit Suffolk County Jail?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Suffolk County Jail?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 42 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 63797024 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.