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Door To The Dungeon
The Preston School of Industry, also known as Preston Castle, is one of the oldest & best-known reform schools in the United States. Located in Ione, California, the institution was opened in June 1894, when 7 wards (juvenile offenders), were transferred there from San Quentin State Prison. The original building, known colloquially as "Preston Castle" is the most significant example of Romanesque Revival architecture in the Mother Lode. It was vacated in 1960, shortly after new buildings had been constructed to replace it. The abandoned building has since been named a California Historical Landmark #867 & is listed on the National Register of Historic Places #NPS-75000422.

The facility's name has often been used in movies and also television programs, such as Dragnet. In 1999, the institution's official name was changed to the "Preston Youth Correctional Facility", but most people continue to refer to it by its original name, Preston Castle.

© Susan M. Reynolds