Jefferson County Jail (Kentucky)

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Jefferson County Jail
File:Jefferson County Jail in Louisville.jpg
Front of the jail
Jefferson County Jail (Kentucky) is located in Kentucky
Jefferson County Jail (Kentucky)
Location 514 W. Liberty St., Louisville, Kentucky
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area 9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built 1905
Architect D.X. Murphy & Bros.
Architectural style Chicago
NRHP Reference # 73000808[1]
Added to NRHP July 16, 1973

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

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. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 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.