| Jefferson County Jail | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 Front of the jail | |
  Show map of Kentucky Show map of the United States | |
| Location | 514 W. Liberty St., Louisville, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°15′11″N 85°45′36″W / 38.25306°N 85.76000°W / 38.25306; -85.76000 |
| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | D.X. Murphy & Bros. |
| Architectural style | Chicago |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000808 |
| 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. 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.
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. 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. In 1973, the jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Langsam, Walter E. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Jefferson County Jail. National Park Service, 1973-06-01.
- 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.
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Related | |
- Government buildings completed in 1905
- Local landmarks in Louisville, Kentucky
- Government of Louisville, Kentucky
- Jails on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky
- County government buildings in Kentucky
- National Register of Historic Places in Louisville, Kentucky
- Chicago school architecture in Kentucky
- 1905 establishments in Kentucky