A different sort of cell job: jail for sale in Dorchester

Anyone inthe market for an out-of-commission jail need look no further than the village of Dorchester, where Andy Partridge is putting his 15-cell property up for sale.

Partridge said it was an impulse buy when he put in abid 16 years ago upon hearing the property wasup for sale. As the only bidder, he won. The idea was it would be an investment property.

"I have a gym upstairs."

Partridge said the jail was in operation until about 20 years agoand the cell walls still have artwork from former inmates.

Oneelaboratepencildrawingshows cartoon catGarfieldwith his owner John behind bars.

"I had rented out some of these cells for storage, secure storage as you can see and in the upper part it was my apartment for about four years."

Built in 1800

A local historical group said the jail was built in 1800when Dorchester was a bustling centre of the the ship-building industry. Partridge said the jail used to feature public gallows outside, but it was moved indoors.

"I was told that this area was used to house the inmates on death row, the ropes came down through the from ceiling and that was the end."

"There were many people hung here."

While Partridge doesn't live in the building anymore, he isn't squeamish about the jail's gruesome history.

"It was just a roof over my head."

"The quarters upstairs are really quite comfortable."

Exercising in former jail's gym

Sue Briggs has a membership at the former jail's gymand she doesn't mind exercising just metres from what used to be southeastern New Brunswick's death row.

From the treadmill, she said, "It doesn't bother me a bit, it's got everything I need."

Sitting in the middle of town, behind the village office which was also the former court house,the yard features a cement court and basket ball net, surrounded by a chain link fenced topped with coiled barbed wire.

The unusual property has been on the market for two years. Partridge said he's reduced the price twice and is now asking $159,000, but is in no hurry to sell. He said he'll wait until the right buyer comes along.

"My main goal was to have something here that would benefit the community and ideallythe new buyer, it would be awesome if they thought the same."

Partridge said he's looking to sell the former jail as part of his retirement plan. But looking back over the last 16 years he said if he could do it all over again, 'I'd have bid onit,It's been an interesting occupation."