Candler County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1916 in downtown Metter, this two-story brick building served Candler County as both jail and sheriff's home. The first floor held the sheriff's family quarters, now divided into offices, while the second floor holds ten metal cells and two shower rooms, made by a St. Louis jail manufacturer. Original features include the metal stairway, pull-down bunks, metal doors, steam radiators and the front porch with its door and transom. Colonial Revival traits include the symmetrical facade, string courses and pedimented parapet. Local builders Fowler and Sage won the construction contract at $9,286. The building was the county's only jail until the 1970s, when a new jail replaced it, and it has since housed county offices. It is recognized for its architecture, as an intact example of an early twentieth-century fireproof jail with prefabricated cells, and for its role in local government and law enforcement. Renovations in 1996 replaced windows and lowered ceilings.
Significance in brief: It is a good and intact example of a county jail combined with a sheriff's residence, retaining its original porch, doors, first-floor living quarters and a prefabricated jail works by Pauly of St. Louis. It also served as the county's only jail from 1916 until the 1970s, reflecting Georgia's county government system.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02001291, listed November 7, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 349 N. Rountree St., Metter |
|---|---|
| County | Candler County |
| Listed | November 7, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001291 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1916-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Fowler and Sage Construction, Builders; Pauley Jail Equipment Co. of St. Louis, Manufacturer of cell equipment |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now houses county offices, including Emergency Management, Code Enforcement, Victim's Assistance and Magistrate Court; the jail ceased operating in the 1970s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.40118, -82.06111 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02001291.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16955501
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.