Mirror photo by Calem Illig Davis hopes to revitalize the Cambria County Prison into a place for the community, but does not want to take away business from pre-existing establishments.

EBENSBURG — An Ebensburg native and business developer from North Carolina has purchased the former Cambria County Prison.

DSherwoodD Enterprises, of Rowland, North Carolina, purchased the former county-owned prison for $1 plus transfer fees last month, and CEO/founder David Davis said he envisions the building to one day serve as a “community hub.”

“This is beyond exciting, and I’m really looking forward to bringing something new to the people of Ebensburg,” Davis said. “I’ve been trying to acquire this building for almost nine years, and I truly feel that this building is going to have something to offer for everyone.”

The historic stone building was built in 1872 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It last housed inmates in 1997 and has recently been used to store county records. The prison has also been the focus of episodes of the ghost-hunting television shows “Destination Fear” and “Paranormal Lockdown.”

Formerly owned by the county, the building was shifted to the hands of the Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County on Jan. 31 and sold to Davis for $1 later that day.

Renee Daly, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority, said the building was transferred for just $1 due to extensive repairs the structure requires.

“We understood the expense that it was going to take to bring that building back into use,” Daly said.

Daly said the Redevelopment Authority advertised the building in May 2019 but did not receive any proposals until Davis stepped forward in October that year.

“The Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County has been working with Mr. Davis on this project since the fall of 2019,” Daly said.

After vetting Davis and seeing his plans for the former prison, county officials decided to proceed.

“This is a win-win across the board, and it’s a great day for Ebensburg and Cambria County,” President Commissioner Tom Chernisky said. “The prison has been empty since 1997, and we made it a priority to do something with the building. We worked with the Redevelopment Authority and Ebensburg Borough to get it out of the county’s hands and get it back into the public sector.”

Daly said Davis’ vision for this property uses the building’s historic nature, while also bringing updated economic development options to downtown Ebensburg.

While Davis has big plans for the former prison, getting the building back to code is his immediate focus.

With a damaged roof, broken windows and a number of other safety hazards, Davis said he has budgeted $3.5 million just to get the building in working order, noting it could take more than a year for the building to be brought “back up to spec.”

“It needs a lot of work,” he said.

Davis, who grew up in Ebensburg and graduated from Central Cambria High School, said he envisions the former prison acting as a “community hub” that will serve a variety of functions.

Much of the building is expected to be event based, he said, with musicians, fairs and other community happenings anticipated.

Plans are also underway to offer escape rooms, haunted prison tours and developers are considering an Airbnb event where visitors could spend the night in a jail cell.

Davis said plans include adding offices and other rental space, and he wants to work with local artists to include an art gallery throughout the building.

“I don’t want to put a bar or restaurant in there,” Davis said. “Ebensburg has plenty of bars and restaurants, and I’m not looking to compete with them. This is going to offer things our community usually doesn’t get to experience. I want to work in conjunction with our community and help support them instead of taking business away from them.”

County officials said while other developers have attempted to purchase the former prison in recent years, they were most impressed with Davis’ proposal and think the building can once again be a viable property.

“They have a lot of interest in bringing this historic structure back to life, and we have confidence that they can do it,” Chernisky said.

Davis said he plans to relocate his business back to Ebensburg and will likely operate out of the prison.

DSherwoodD Enterprises is currently taking bids from companies to conduct repairs, and repairs are expected to begin this summer.

While he has his own vision for the former prison, Davis is seeking the community’s feedback and is “open to ideas” for how the property can be used, adding that residents can visit www.stonejail.com to leave a suggestion.

Mirror Staff Writer Calem Illig is at 814-946-7535.