The Tombs

The Tombs is a former municipal jail in Lower Manhattan that occupies an entire city block between Centre Street and Franklin Street. The structure displays Egyptian-inspired architecture with thick granite walls and housed hundreds of prisoners in separate areas until it closed.

The jail opened in 1838 on the former site of a filled-in pond and replaced an older colonial-era facility. Operations ended in 1974 after more than 130 years as a city detention center.

Its nickname stems from the way its architecture recalled ancient Egyptian burial structures documented by early 19th-century travelers. The massive granite facade and solemn design evoked structures along the Nile and shaped the cityscape of Lower Manhattan for over a century.

The building sits on former marshland and stands centrally in Lower Manhattan, steps from several subway stations. Today the site is part of public space and no longer functions as a jail.

The building began sinking shortly after completion because the ground consisted of filled-in swampland. The constant subsidence forced authorities into permanent repairs of cells and foundations that warped and cracked.