Turner County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1906-1907, this brick jail in downtown Ashburn was the first jail of Turner County, which had been formed in 1905. Wagoner & Dobson of Montgomery, Alabama, designed it, and it cost $10,855. The two-story building sits on a raised basement and has a low hipped roof, a square pyramid-roofed tower, a one-story front portico on round posts, granite lintels and elaborately corbeled cornices. Inside are plate steel cells, arched metal ceilings, and a steel gallows platform on the second floor. The sheriff's living quarters burned in 1950 and were rehabilitated, and the exterior was painted in 1976. The jail is considered the county's finest local example of Romanesque architecture and its fireproof construction was typical of jails of its day. It served as the county's only jail from 1907 to 1981 and reflects county law enforcement, executions, and the use of prison labor.
Significance in brief: The jail is argued to be significant as the county's best example of Romanesque style architecture, with fireproof construction typical of county jails of its time. It was the county's only jail from 1907 to 1981, representing local law enforcement, and its gallows date from when county government carried out executions. It was also one of the first two public buildings erected by Turner County and part of a system that used prison labor.
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 82002490, listed August 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 200 College St., Ashburn |
|---|---|
| County | Turner County |
| Listed | August 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002490 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Wagoner & Dobson, Montgomery, Alabama |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Law, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a county jail in current use; the form notes it may soon be closed if not significantly altered to meet state fire code and life safety requirements. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Ashburn Heights-Hudson-College Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 31.70816, -83.65197 (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 82002490.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28153460
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.