The Preston School of Industry, also known as Preston Castle, was a

reform school A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who wer ...

located in

Ione, California Ione ( ) is a city in Amador County, California. The population was 7,918 at the 2010 census, up from 7,129 in 2000. Once known as " Bed-Bug" and "Freeze Out," Ione was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern ...

, in

Amador County Amador County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,474. The county seat is Jackson. Amador County, located within California's Gold Country, is known as "T ...

. It was proposed by, and ultimately named after, state senator Edward Myers Preston. The cornerstone was laid in December 1890, and the institution was opened in June 1894 when seven wards (minors under the guardianship of the state, but not necessarily juvenile offenders), were transferred there from

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County. Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is t ...

. It is considered one of the oldest and best-known reform schools in the United States. Preston School and Director C

The original building, known colloquially as "Preston Castle" (or simply "The Castle"), is the most significant example of

Romanesque Revival architecture Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

in the Mother Lode. This building was vacated in 1960, shortly after new buildings had been constructed to replace it, and has since been named a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

(#867), and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

(NPS-75000422). In 1982, the building was partly used as The Bleeding Heart Orphanage in the movie ''

Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary, '' Dance Craze'' (1981). They were at their most popular during the early 1 ...

'', released in 1984. In 1999, the institution's official name, applied to the newer 1960 buildings, was changed to the "Preston Youth Correctional Facility". In 2010, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced that the facility was to close, and a closing ceremony was held on June 2, 2011.

In popular culture

In 1982, the building was partly used as "The Bleeding Heart Orphanage" in the movie ''Bad Manners'', released in 1984. The 2014 film '' A Haunting at Preston Castle'' is set at the castle and surrounding area, as is the 2019 movi
''Apparition''
The first episode of season 2 of the TV series ''Ghost Adventures'' is about Preston Castle. ''Ghost Hunters'' investigated the castle's paranormal reports in season 6, episode 6. The facility is the subject of ''The Lowe Files'' Season 1, Episode 1: "Haunted Boy's Reformatory".

Former wards

Former Preston wards include: Preston Castle (Ione)

References

External links

Photos of Preston Castle by Angelica R. Jackson, 2007-present

Preston Castle Foundation home page
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Amador County, California California Historical Landmarks Defunct prisons in California Romanesque Revival architecture in California School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in California Unused buildings in California Tourist attractions in Amador County, California National Register of Historic Places in Amador County, California 1890 establishments in California

In popular culture

Former wards

References

Further reading

External links