White County Jail
Also known as: Old White County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1901 for $4,000 during the term of Sheriff William Jackson, this two-story brick jail in Cleveland, Georgia, replaced an earlier weatherboarded jail from around 1860 that was condemned in 1897. The plain Italianate building has a hipped roof, square brick pilasters, and segmental-arched windows with keystones on the front. The first floor housed the jailer and family, while prisoners were held upstairs. Brick was chosen for fire protection, and the jailer's residence aided security. The jail served as the county's only lockup for more than sixty years, until a new jail replaced it in the late 1960s. A pedimented porch, a rear frame addition and interior finishes were added later, but the central hall plan, four-paneled doors, some mantels, and exterior pilasters and windows survive. It is valued as an example of rural criminal justice history and as a jail that resembles a house. It now serves as a county office.
Significance in brief: It is significant in politics and government as a representative of the early criminal justice system in a rural Georgia county, showing turn-of-the-century changes such as brick construction for fire protection and a jailer's residence on site. It is also significant in architecture as a good example of the Italianate style used for a functional building, looking more like a house than a jail.
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 85002089, listed September 13, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | White County |
| Listed | September 13, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002089 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as the county Department of Transportation office; described as in fair condition. The jail was replaced by a new county jail in the late 1960s. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 34.59792, -83.76305 (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 85002089.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16889777
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.