Quitman County Jail
Also known as: Old Quitman County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 on Main Street in Georgetown, Georgia, this two-story brick building served as the Quitman County jail for roughly seventy-five years, until the mid-1960s. It occupies the site of the county's first jail, a wooden structure from 1858, and sits between the county courthouse and city hall. The square building has arched openings, a stringcourse, a copper hip roof and an octagonal wooden cupola. Inside, a barrel-vaulted concrete ceiling with steel I-beams made it fire-proof, and the second floor holds a three-compartment metal cage. Its plain styling contrasts with the more imposing jails built elsewhere in the same period. The jail reflects the late nineteenth-century effort to replace wooden lockups with more secure, substantial buildings, and it was the main place of incarceration in a small, sparsely populated county. The Georgetown Garden Club has maintained it since its jail use ended, and a historical marker was dedicated there in 1980.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant in architecture for its fire-proof construction and plain styling, which contrasts with more imposing jails of the same era. It is significant in local history as the only county jail in Quitman County from 1891 until the mid-1960s. It reflects the nineteenth-century move to replace wooden jails with sturdier buildings.
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 81000200, listed August 13, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Quitman County |
| Listed | August 13, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000200 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1891) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and in fair condition; maintained by the Georgetown Garden Club since it ceased to be the county jail. Alterations include a gas heater, wiring for electricity and modern plumbing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.88579, -85.10961 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 81000200.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.