The entrance to these reception rooms is under the landing of the steps to the upper vestibule, and there is an iron staircase from the lower to the upper vestibule, by which the prisoners are taken from the reception rooms or lower entrance to the guard room and cells.
The two rooms in the front part of the centre building, on a level with the guard room, are for the use of the warden and his deputies.
There are six rooms in the front part of the centre building for the confinement of witnesses, or for privilege rooms, four of which are about 20 feet square, and the other two about 15 feet square; these rooms have private water closets, and are supplied with water, they have high ceilings, are well ventilated, light, pleasant, and cheerful; they are approached by private staircases in the two towers of the front part of the centre building, and are connected with the galleries of the north and south wings by a gallery on the west side of the guard room.
There are three hospital rooms in the upper story of the front part of the centre building, they have private water closets, bath tubs, with warm and cold water, and shower, they can be reached from the cells of the north and south wings by the gallery through the guard room and iron staircases, and also from the stairs in the front towers; they are well lighted and ventilated.
There is a water tank in the upper part of the centre building to supply the kitchen, water closets, baths, wash basins, &c.
The chapel is in the upper part of the centre building over the guard room. It will seat over 400 persons. There is an entrance to it from each of the wings, and also from the front part of the centre building. It is about 22 feet high, well lighted and ventilated, and so planned that the prisoners can be separated into classes if deemed desirable. The chapel floor is supported by two double lattice wrought iron girders.
There are ventilating flues and ejecting ventilators constructed in all parts of the centre building, and all of the windows and other openings throughout, are made secure by wrought iron gratings. All the floors are on iron beams and brick arches. The building is thoroughly fire proof in all parts except the chapel and roof framing, and is warmed by steam from two large boilers located in the boiler house on the east side of the jail, and lighted at night by gas. There is a thorough system of drainage from all of the waste pipes, soil pipes, and rain water pipes, through brick drains and sewers to Jones’ Falls, a stream running within about 200 feet of the jail.
The entrance gateway and lodge, the clerk’s office and the residence for the warden, are on the south side of the jail lot, fronting on Madison street. There are two chambers over the lodge and office on the east side of the gateway. In the Warden’s residence, on the west side of the gateway, there is a kitchen, dining room, parlor, five chambers, and bath room, with hall passages, pantry, store rooms and closets, and all other requisite appurtenances and conveniences for the comfortable accommodation of a family. The yard for the warden’s residence is separated from the jail yard by a stone wall and iron gate.
The prisoners are received and discharged through the gates on Madison street.
The exterior walls of the jail and other buildings are all of stone, together with all the corbels, copings, quoins, chimney tops, &c. The base, up to the second range of window sills, is of granite, cut and set in large blocks. The walls above the base are of light blue stone, laid in rubbled masonry, with splayed jambs and arches. The window sills above the basement, and the quoins, corbels, copings and other dressings are of marble. The roofs are of slate. The interior walls, arches, &c., are all of brick.