You can tour Hamilton County’s historic jail for 150th Anniversary

Submitted by Toni Dickover

The historic Hamilton County Sheriff’s Residence and Jail, located at 810 Conner St., Noblesville, will celebrate its 150th Anniversary from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.

The Hamilton County Historical Society, which leases this historic building from the Hamilton County Commissioners, has invited the families of Sheriff’s Guilkey, Passwater, McCory, and Cook to join us and tell the stories they remember and the memories they made living in downtown Noblesville with their family and as many as 50 prisoners.

For noon to 2 p.m. we have invited local authors to sell and sign their books. They will be located at individual tables around the Courthouse lawn. There will be period-specific games for kids and adults on the southeast corner of the Courthouse lawn.

The Residence and Jail will be open for touring, and the family members will be inside from noon to 2 p.m. for visitors to wander through and get a firsthand look at “life in the Sheriff’s Residence.”

The Old Sheriff’s Residence and Jail next to the Historic Courthouse is now home to the Hamilton County Museum of History. (Photo provided)

Jail history

Hamilton County was founded Jan. 8, 1823.

In 1824, Hamilton County opened its first jail, a simple log cabin built near the Riverside Cemetery.

In 1853, a relocated and upgraded structure moved closer to the courthouse square.

In 1875, when construction began on the new Hamilton County Courthouse, construction also began on the Sheriff’s Residence and Jail.

Designed in the striking Second Empire architectural style, this structure was complete with limestone details and a prominent three-story square tower.

The sheriff and their family lived in the front residential quarters while managing the jail facility attached to the residence.

C.W. Morrow was the first Sheriff to occupy this residence. He served from 1876 to 1878. A total of 33 Sheriffs and their families lived in the Residence over the 150 years.

The Hamilton County Historical Society thanks the Hamilton County Commissioners for their support in keeping the history of Hamilton County alive.