An enormous red brick cell house with rounded towers loomed over the city of Deer Lodge until 1959 when it was damaged by an earthquake and torn down. In 1960, this slab was poured as a foundation for a metal gymnasium and a metal classroom building. Both buildings were moved to the new prison.

	The 1896 Cell House was divided into two sections by a two-foot thick wall, which ran from the roof to the floor. The larger section held 258 men.
	The Cell house did not have running water or sewer facilities. Each cell had two buckets, one for sewage and one for water.