The Tombs
- Year
- 1838
- Style
- Egyptian Revival
- City
- Manhattan, NY
The Tombs was the colloquial name for a series of city-run jails in Lower Manhattan, an area now known as the Civic Center. The original Tombs, officially the Halls of Justice, was built in 1838 in the Egyptian Revival style, similar in form to a mastaba, replacing the Colonial-era Bridewell Prison that had stood in City Hall Park since 1735. Materials from the demolished Bridewell were reused in the new structure to save money.
the building
Egyptian Revival design. The 1838 Halls of Justice was built in the Egyptian Revival style, its mastaba-like form likely the source of its nickname, 'the Tombs.'
the style
The Egyptian Revival style, unusual for an American civic building, gave the 1838 Halls of Justice its mastaba-like form and its enduring nickname, 'the Tombs' — Charles Dickens wrote about the building in American Notes for General Circulation.
More on Egyptian Revivalsignificance
The site has hosted city jails continuously under the Tombs name across several successive buildings: the 1838-1902 Halls of Justice and House of Detention, the 1902-1941 City Prison, and the 1941-2023 Manhattan House of Detention, later the Manhattan Detention Complex South Tower.
nearby
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- 359 Broadway Building