The old prison will be transformed into apartments

Visit historic sites of imprisonment while you still can

By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Chatham Prison is set to be transformed into a luxury apartment complex, but history buffs will have one last chance to visit the 175-year-old landmark.

Starting this week, six tours will be held each week through September. Tours will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Project manager Les Lonsbary, who is developing the project with partner Ed McLaughlin, said the building’s exterior would remain the same but the interior would be demolished and new apartments built in its place.

He added that the same will happen in the former four-story court building adjacent to the prison.

“Ultimately, this is a business venture, but we wanted to give people a chance to see the building one last time,” Lonsbary said.

“This is something we love, taking a diamond in the rough with beautiful bone, structure and great character and bringing it back to life,” Lonsbary explained. “We can allow people to live here but still preserve this significant piece of Chatham history.”

Along with the overgrown prison yard, tightly packed cell blocks, dark passageways and stone walls, the high-ceilinged former federal courtroom and the Kent Law Association library on the upper level remain intact. Accented with intricate wood carvings, the weathered chairs and tables at which judge, jury and defendants sat stand in quiet tribute to decades of law and order in Kent County.

Designed by Canadian architect William Thomas, the neoclassical limestone structure features a balustraded balcony and a crowning dome. Future Canadian Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie worked on it as a stonemason during its construction.

The prison closed in 2014 and local prisoners are now transferred to the South West Detention Centre in Windsor.

The prison, which held prisoners for 164 years, was designated a heritage site in 2003 after being purchased from the province by the Warrener family, who sold it to its current owners.

Lonsbary noted that audiences are fascinated by crime shows and films, and Chatham Prison plays a role in this.

“Who doesn’t love The Shawshank Redemption in the old prison?” Lonsbary asked.

Chatham Prison is having its own cinematic moment.

Thanks to a horror film called “Fresh Meat,” the structure will be immortalized forever. The film, directed by Daniel and Christian Torres of London, is set to be released in 2025. The couple rented the entire building for three months in 2023 to film the film, as evidenced by fake blood splattered throughout the building.

Three retired prison guards who worked at Chatham Prison will act as tour guides during the summer tours, showing the curious around the impressive structure and sharing their experiences of protecting prisoners while also telling the story of the building.

Loris Arthurton, who worked at the prison for 20 years, is one of the former guards who will lead the tours. He joins Dave Arnold and Phil Gavin in the initiative.

As Arthurton told The Voice, the prison, which normally held 50 to 55 inmates, was a decent place to work.

“It was a good place to work if you followed the procedures; it wasn’t dangerous,” he added. “I treated them (the prisoners) like people and showed them respect, unless they didn’t show me respect.”

The former prison officer said two incidents stood out in his mind. One involved an escapee who kicked a hole in the ceiling and slid down a drainpipe. He was caught the next day after stealing a car and causing an accident.

The second case concerned the so-called riots in the 1990s, when all the prisoners were under the influence of smuggled drugs.

“They were high all night and all the next day,” Arthurton said, adding that prisoners went wild, smashing water pipes and setting fire to cells.

“It wasn’t the wisest move,” he added.

To book a tour, visit eventbrite.ca and search for Chatham-Kent courthouse. Cost is $20 and pre-registration is required.