The house for the warden at the Minnesota Territorial Prison in Stillwater was built in 1853.
To mark the occasion of its 170th year, the Washington County Historical Society is holding a free, open house at the site – now known as the Warden’s House Museum – in downtown Stillwater on April 30.
The house, located just south of the prison, was home to 13 wardens and their families until 1914, when the prison was moved to Bayport. Deputy Warden Thomas Ross and his family lived at the house for the next 27 years.
In 1941, the Washington County Historical Society purchased the home from the state and opened it as a museum.
The museum consists of 14 rooms decorated in the late 19th and early 20th century style. Its current exhibition, “Ordering through the Catalog,” highlights household items donated by Washington County residents.
“Many of these everyday pieces came from the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog,” said Julianne O’Connell, site manager.
Founded as a mail-order watch company in the late 19th century, Sears, Roebuck made its name with its packed catalogs “that advertised everything from wigs, dental tools and live chicks to entire house kits,” she said.
The open house will run from 1-5 p.m., and will feature live music, displays and refreshments. The museum is located at 602 N. Main St.
For more information, go to wchsmn.org.
