Side A: The Noble County Jail and Sheriff’s Office is a fine example of Late Victorian architecture designed by a prominent Ohio architect and built by important nineteenth century Noble County builders. Designed by Columbus architect Joseph Warren Yost, it was constructed 1881-1882 by Mills & Summers and cost $9,477.55. The building is made of orange-red bricks from the Ava Brick Company and features horizontal sandstone banding and a detailed gable end with brackets and finials. The Queen Anne design includes an asymmetrical façade with two distinct entrances to the Sheriff’s Office and Residence. The office and residence face courthouse square while the jail cells are at the rear. There are four first-floor individual cells and two larger men’s and women’s cells above with concrete barrel-vaulted ceilings. (Continued on other side)
Side B: (Continued from other side) The Noble County Jail and Sheriff’s Office replaced the original brick jail with residence erected on the site in 1859. While Governor, Rutherford B. Hayes spearheaded Ohio prison reforms calling for construction of jails at the county level. Smaller, more sparsely populated counties with less demand for large jails frequently combined the sheriff’s office, residence, and jail in one structure. Noble County’s building remained in continuous use from 1882 until a new jail was constructed in 1999. In 1999, the Noble County Historical Society leased it from the county and, after restoration work, dedicated it as a museum and visitor center on July 4, 2003. The Noble County Jail and Sheriff’s Office was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Sponsors: Noble County Commissioners, Ohio State University Extension-Noble County Community Development, Ohio History Connection
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