Powers, Col. William

POWERS, Col. William (fl. 1834-40) was Deputy Keeper of the New York State Prison at Auburn, N.Y., an early penal institution constructed in 1822. In 1832 the Select Committee of the House of Assembly for Upper Canada wrote to officials at Auburn seeking plans for a provincial penitentiary to be constructed in KINGSTON, ONT. Powers was highly recommended both as the designer, and as administrator. He prepared the Master Plan for the Penitentiary (1833-34, partially extant), and drew the plans for the Main Cellblock (extant, with interiors altered). He also supervised the construction of the South Wing (built 1834-35; interiors much altered) and was hired to serve as Deputy Warden and superintendent of works at Kingston in 1834. He remained there until his dismissal after disagreements with the Warden of the Prison in June 1840. A copy of his original master plan and architectural plan for the layout of buildings at Kingston can be found in the Colonial Office Papers (NAC, MG11, Colonial Office Papers, Vol. 156, 'Blue Book for Upper Canada, 1838', unpaginated). Correspondence between Powers and the Select Committee in Canada has survived and is now held at the Ontario Archives in Toronto (OA, John Macaulay Papers, letters from 31 July 1832 to 20 June 1833). No information on Powers can be found after 1840 (inf. Dana Johnson, Ottawa)