Jefferson County Jail (Louisville, Kentucky)

The Jefferson County Jail is a historic structure in central Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Built in 1905 in the Chicago style of architecture, it was designed by D.X. Murphy & Bros.[1] It comprises two wings: the western, built as cell blocks, and the eastern, which originally housed offices. A system of corridors was used to separate male and female prisoners and black and white prisoners.[2]:2

Jefferson County Jail
Front of the jail
Location514 W. Liberty St., Louisville, Kentucky
Coordinates38°15′11″N 85°45′36″W
Area9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built1905
ArchitectD.X. Murphy & Bros.
Architectural styleChicago
NRHP reference No.73000808[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 16, 1973

In 1983, the jail was converted into an office complex. Among its tenants are the offices of the Commonwealth's Attorney, the office of the Circuit Court Clerk, and the Jefferson County Public Law Library.[3] While prisoners are no longer held in the jail, it is still significant as a leading example of public-works architecture. Its structure has been admired by many leading architects, including the renowned Finnish-American Eero Saarinen.[2]:3 In 1973, the jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Langsam, Walter E. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Jefferson County Jail. National Park Service, 1973-06-01.
  3. Paranormal Investigators Visit Old Jail Building, Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, 2008. Accessed 2009-09-30.

Further reading
  • Brown, Theodore M. An Introduction to Louisville Architecture.
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