Apprehending Darkness in the Shadows

“Scene in the Tombs Police Court,” from James McCabe, Secrets of the Great City. Philadelphia: National Publishing Company, 1868.

Built in 1838, The New York Halls of Justice and House of Detention, informally called “The Tombs” after its Egyptian-influenced design, was at the epicenter of the city’s crime and punishment. Built on top of a former pond, it was a dank and foul-smelling place that began to sink into the ground soon after being built. Housing the city’s courts, police department, and detention facilities, it was a gathering place for the most disenfranchised, and was notorious for its abuse and corruption.