Washington County Jail (Oregon)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Washington County Jail | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
  |
|
| Location: | Washington County, Oregon |
| Nearest city: | Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1853 |
| Added to NRHP: | July 31, 1986 |
| Governing body: | Washington County Museum |
The Washington County Jail is a wood, one-room jail previously used in Oregon. It was built in 1853 and was used until 1870. In 1986, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is now housed inside the Washington County Museum in Washington County, Oregon, United States.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1853, the first Washington County Jail opened.[1] It was built at Fourth and Washington Streets in Hillsboro, Oregon by William Brown for a cost of $900.[1] During its use, two people died while confined to the jail, and a baby was born after it ceased being used as a jail.[1] One of those dieing in the jail was former Hudson’s Bay Company employee William Burris who killed his family in 1855 in a drunken rage.[2] However, despite rumors, American Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant was not jailed here while he was posted to Oregon before the Civil War.[1]
In 1870, the building was sold to the Cave family.[1] They lived in it briefly while their house was built, and then used the structure as an outbuilding.[1] In 1953 the structure was moved to the Washington County Fairgrounds where it remained until 2003. Beginning in 2003, the building was restored at a cost of $75,000 and relocated from the county fairgrounds to the Washington County Museum.[1]
[edit] Currently
In 1986, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[3] Then in 2003 the building was disassembled and restored.[1] Next, in 2004, the jail was re-assembled inside the Washington County Museum where it currently sits as a permanent exhibit, preserved in the climate controlled environment.[1]
[edit] Structure
The one room, 160 square foot wooden structure weighs 12,000 pounds.[1] Washington County Jail is sixteen feet long, nine feet wide, and twelve feet tall.[2] The jail was built in three months using Douglas fir timbers.[1] The building originally housed a bucket, ankle chains, and straw mattresses.[2]
[edit] External links
- Washington County Jail (Oregon) is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mandel, Michelle. A lockup to lure ‘em in. The Oregonian, May 13, 2004.
- ^ a b c Gunderson, Laura. The price of history. The Oregonian, February 20, 2003.
- ^ Oregon National Register List (PDF). Oregon Parks & Recreation Dept.: Heritage Programs: National Register. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
