Jefferson County Jail & Sheriff's Office, Courthouse Square, Madison, Jefferson County, IN

Significance: The Jefferson County Jail and Sheriff's House was built in 1848-50 and survives virtually unaltered. The temple-like form of brick and heavy masonry encloses the utilitarian jail block with the Sheriff's residence. The jail's interior plan is an impressive spatial achievement - a two-tiered block of cells surrounded by open vaulted spaces. Sturdy iron grilles at windows and cell doors concentrate patterns of detail which contrast with the large wall surfaces of quarried stone. Standing within an environment sympathetic to its architectural style, scale, and historic role as a nineteenth century penal institution, the jail's original and subsequent significance remain intact.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-31
Survey number: HABS IN-84
Building/structure dates: 1848-1850 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1857 Subsequent Work