MEL JAMES
Restoring the Paths to Dwell In:
Gender Reconciliation at Lincoln Heights Jail & Beyond!
MASTER OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION
University of Southern California
School of Architecture
Lincoln Heights Jail is a historic, Progressive Era carceral facility in Los Angeles, California. This five-story reinforced concrete building with Art Deco features was constructed in 1930 to manage “undesirable” populations, among which were women (Cisgender, Nonbinary, and Transgender) who challenged twentieth century gender expectations.
In fact, the fifth floor of the jail was designed and dedicated for women inmates. Legislation passed during the early twentieth century, required separately designed spaces for women inmates. Lincoln Heights Jail was decommissioned in 1965. Disappointingly, within eleven years of the jail’s closure, the evidence of the women’s section was erased for an adaptive reuse initiative.
My thesis presents the women’s history associated with Lincoln Heights Jail to restore this narrative to the public record. In particular, my thesis highlights the under researched early twentieth century history of the New Woman movement and working-class Queer women in Los Angeles, California. Lastly, my thesis analyzes several additional decommissioned Progressive Era carceral sites known for incarcerating women of all genders and sexualities, to determine whether women’s carceral heritage is being preserved through authorized heritage management strategies.