Stewart Iron Works - Blog: December 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Stewart Iron Works at Alcatraz Prison

If you ever tour the former Federal Prison on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, you will see a plaque proudly displayed proclaiming the Stewart Iron Works Patented Locking Device! Stewart technicians invented this locking system which allowed the prison guards to open particular cell doors individually with a lever system. Prior to the Stewart invention, guards had to open cell doors with keys.

Stewart Iron Works had a division, Stewart Jail Works, that manufactured the fencing, gates and jail cells for such notorious Federal Prisons as Leavenworth, Kansas (1904), Alcatraz, California(1909), and Sing Sing, New York (1914). The jail division was eventually sold.

To view the Alcatraz plaque, click on the link below:

http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/alca/exb/FederalPrison/EquipmentProcedures/goga100_sign_lockingMech2_e.html

About Us

The Stewart Iron Works tradition is one of artistry in metal.

Since the company's inception in the 1880's Stewart designed products have been known for their excellence and balance of beauty and function. They are created from unique designs and become crafted works of metal that grace the finest homes, institutions, historic sites and parks in the country.

The Stewart shield can be found at the Panama Canal, the White House and the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Lt. Governor's Office on St. Thomas Island, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Museum, the Taft Museum, The U.S. House of Representatives, and at many other prestigious and historic sites.