Montgomery County Jail
( Old Jail Museum )
| Dates: | 1882 |
| Location: | Southwest corner of Washington and Spring Streets, Crawfordsville, Indiana |
| Architects: | William H. Brown & Edgar J. Hodgson, of Indianapolis |
| Contractors: | Hinkley & Norris |
| Rotary Jail: | Haugh, Ketcham & Co., of Indianapolis |
| Cost: | $29,000 |
The Montgomery County Jail was the first of 7 rotary jails in U.S., and is the only one still in operating condition. It was built soon after the rotary jail was patented in 1881, being completed before June, 1882. The Tippecanoe County (Indiana) Historical Association (TCHA) has in its collections a letter from Haugh, Ketcham & Co. advertising the rotary jail. The letter, dated June 3, 1882, states “to fully appreciate our new mode of securing and handling prisoners you ought to see our ‘Rotary’ now in good working order at Crawfordsville, Ind. and another at Paducah, Ky. We will soon have one completed at Maryville, Mo. If you find it inconvenient to visit those places we will send you detailed plans on application.”
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| Montgomery County Jail, from The Revised Montgomery County Atlas, 1898. | A 1930s view of the jail wing along Spring Street, note the jail windows have been covered |
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| View from the northeast, September, 2005 | |
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| Front (East) Elevation on Washington Street | |
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| Side (North) Elevation on Spring Street with Sheriff's Residence at left and Jail at right | |
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| Front steps to residence | Detail of pilaster capital flanking front door |
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| Detail of front bay | Detail of front bay stonework |
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| View from the northwest | Detail of gable on jail wing |
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| Detail of west facade | Detail of the now-lost ventilation cupola over the cellblock core, 1930s |
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Eight cells on each level rotated to the single door on the east side of the jail wing. These doors were enclosed in iron-barred vestibules which were stacked in the same manner as the cells. There was no catwalk or other floor around the second tier of the cell block because the door was the only entrance. The cell block would be rotated until the correct cell was aligned with the door, and then the prisoner could be put in or taken out. Each cell had a solid portion of plate-iron wall near the bunks which could be rotated so that no cell had access to the door.
In 1938 the Montgomery County Fire Marshall registered a formal complaint about the design of the jail as a fire hazard. A Grand Jury investigation was conducted and resulted in the cylinder being welded in place. Doors were cut for each cell and a catwalk was added around the second tier of cells.
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| Montgomery County Jail, 1974 (Image from HABS/HAER) | View from the northeast, 1974 (HABS/HAER) |
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| North elevation of sheriff's residence with jail wing at right , 1974 (HABS/HAER) | View of jail wing from the northwest, 1975 (Indiana History Bulletin) |
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| The Indiana History Bulletin, October, 1975 | Front facade, 1975 (Indiana History Bulletin) |
As the jail aged, improper maintenance led to deterioration in the core of the now-stationary cylinder. Prisoners managed to break through the back of the water-closet niche and climb down into the basement of the jail. Apparently the iron trapdoor specified by Brown & Haugh in the patent application was not in use when this break-out occurred. Inmates were able to escape through the sheriff’s residence from the jail basement. Five inmates took part in the escape, two being successful. Over a period of 20 months, six prisoners escaped through the core.
In May, 1973, the jail was condemned as unfit and unsafe. A new jail was built that year and the prisoners were moved. The Montgomery County Cultural Foundation was formed to preserve the jail as a local museum. In 1974 the building was surveyed for the Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER). HABS photographer Jack E. Boucher, who had photographed some of the most spectacular historic buildings in the United States, visited the jail. He wrote to the Montgomery County Cultural Foundation, “Believe me when I say your jail is extraordinary, unique and an asset to Crawfordsville that is rich in potential for your fine city. It is worthy of preservation at any cost.”
Since 1975 the Montgomery County Jail has been known as the Old Jail Museum and is open to the public.
Visit the Old Jail Museum's web site
Visit the HABS/HAER collection and search for "Montgomery County Jail" to view many high-resolution photographs