Dawson Couty Jail
Also known as: Old Dawson County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1881 on a small city lot in the commercial center of Dawsonville, this two-story red brick jail served Dawson County for almost a century. It was the county's third jail, following a log jail destroyed by fire in the 1860s and a rough log-and-rock replacement built in 1871. The McGinty Construction Company of Athens built it for $3,670. Its Italianate design has a hipped roof, brick pilasters, bracketed eaves and flat-arched window heads. A planned octagonal tower and a brick cornice were dropped, a modest result for a county with limited funds. The ground floor held the jailer's quarters, with prisoners kept upstairs. Steel cells from the Manly Jail Works of Dalton replaced the original wooden ones in 1931, and additions followed in 1931, 1974 and 1979. The jail was vacated in 1977 and now houses an antiques store. It is valued for its architecture, its builder and its record of local criminal justice practice.
Significance in brief: The jail is significant for its Italianate architecture, a modest version of an ambitious original design that reflects the county's limited resources, and for the builder's other public work. It is also significant in politics and government as the county's third jail, serving almost a century and reflecting local and state criminal justice practices such as fireproof brick, jailer's quarters and steel cells.
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 85002083, listed September 13, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | HW 53, Dawsonville |
|---|---|
| County | Dawson County |
| Listed | September 13, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002083 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | M. B. McGinty, builder (McGinty Construction Company of Athens, Georgia) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacated as a jail in 1977 after the construction of a new jail; leased for use as an antiques store. Described as in good to fair condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.42143, -84.12022 (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 85002083.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28153753
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.