Soon after the county purchased the property work was commenced on laying out for the new building. Excavating began in 1907. The work was done by the “trusty” prisoners, in charge of officers and engineers. The building is fireproof. The material is concrete and iron, most of the work being done by the prisoners themselves. All the floors in the institution are of terrazzo, made and finished by the “trusties” after a few instructions. Such a building put out to contract would have cost Plymouth a fortune, more than $200,000, but as it is the cost will not be far from $100,000. The jail is on the top of a hill. It commands a view of the surrounding country. It has a frontage of 250 feet, and is 48 feet deep, with an ell 86×46. In January, 1902, when Sheriff Henry S. Porter took the position of high sheriff of Plymouth county, there were 53 inmates in the jail. During the following five years prisoners increased to nearly 100. At the present time the number varies from 120 to 130. After he had been in office a short time he began to consider improvements for the men. They were all cane-seating chairs for townspeople, an industry which netted the county but $400 a year and they paid an instructor $1200. The sheriff found that a good man who had some experience could earn only about five cents a day and others two and a half cents and that the industry was not a paying one. It was then that he first devised the plan of working his men in the open. He hired half an acre of land in Samoset street and placed four or five of the “trusty” prisoners, in charge of officers, tilling the ground. That year he raised 50 bushels of potatoes, and the men who did the work were in much better condition than those employed inside. The sheriff was vigorously opposed by the county commissioners, who ordered him to stop the work, but after he had shown what could be done the commissioners decided to let him continue. A tract of land of three acres was bought in 1904, and that year the sheriff raised 519 bushels of potatoes, 265 bushels of turnips, 610 pounds of ham, 325 pounds of rib and at the end of the season had four hogs left. The products sold for $1084.25. The expenses were $390. They were for dressing, seed and tools. The next year the sheriff made more money, and provided fresh vegetables and potatoes during the winter for the men in the institution. In 1907 he prevailed upon the county commissioners to purchase what was known as the Chandler farm, at Obery, about a mile from the center of Plymouth on which was a dwelling house and barn. Its acreage was 135, field and woods. The farm was much run down and was covered with bushes and weeds. The sheriff started in immediately to build it up, and a large number of the “trusty” men were put out there, with officers in charge, and cleared away the bushes and broke up the land. Part of the men worked on the new jail, while the others were employed in the garden.