| Franklin County Jail | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 Front and side of the old jail | |
  Show map of Illinois Show map of the United States | |
| Location | 209 W. Main St., Benton, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°0′15″N 88°54′58″W / 38.00417°N 88.91611°W / 38.00417; -88.91611 |
| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architect | J.R. Royer, R.Z. Gill |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000111 |
| Added to NRHP | February 5, 1999 |
The Franklin County Jail, located at 209 W. Main St. in Benton, is the former county jail of Franklin County, Illinois. The jail was built in 1905–06 to replace the county's previous jail, which was built in the 1840s after the county seat moved to Benton. Architect Joseph W. Royer designed the jail; the brick building features limestone trim, a hip roof with gabled dormers, and a front porch which was rebuilt in 1997. The building also included the county sheriff's residence, an arrangement which allowed for the sheriff to continuously watch the prisoners. The jail housed prisoners until 1990, when a new jail was constructed after the State of Illinois condemned the old building. The Franklin County Historic Preservation Society has since converted the old jail to a historic museum.
The jail building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. It is one of three listed properties in Franklin County. The other two are the Sesser Opera House, in Sesser and the West Frankfort City Hall, in West Frankfort.
See also
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- Hargis, Lonna (September 30, 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Franklin County Jail" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
External links
| Municipalities and communities of Franklin County, Illinois, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Benton | ||
| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
|---|---|
| Topics | |
| Lists by state |
|
| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
