The Prison & The Village

Speaker: Dana White, Ossining Board of Trustees, former Ossining Historian

Program Location: Croton-on-Hudson Library, Croton Free Library, 171 Cleveland Drive, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520

If you were walking along the OCA trail in Ossining in the 1840s, you would see an expanding prison facility on the River when you got to the place that is now Edward Street. The Old Croton Aqueduct was constructed in the 1830s in reaction to New York’s expanding population and its need for clean water. The chaotic and crowded City was also facing an increase in poverty and crime in the infamous neighborhood of Five Points. Sing Sing Prison was constructed as another response to these urban problems in this pre-industrial era.

Sing Sing Correctional Facility has been a presence in the Ossining village for almost 200 years. At one time, the village and the prison shared a name. Today the prison and the village seem worlds apart, but for a long time, the two were inseparable. The shared history can be seen throughout the community, even in places we’d never think to look. Presented by Dana White, former Ossining Village Historian and current Village Trustee, with lots of illustrations.

This program was organized by NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Space is limited.