Old Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 at 103 Court Street in Washington, Georgia, the Old Wilkes County Jail is a red brick, two-story building with a basement, a hipped roof and bands of rough stone. Its Romanesque design includes square brick pillars, dentil cornices, small round-headed arches in the gables and a covered outside stairway. The McDonald Brothers Jail Building Company of Louisville, Kentucky, won the contract in January 1891 for $8,250, after local grand juries had called for a better jail since the 1870s. Inside, eight cell blocks were floored with Indiana limestone, and a system of moat-like ducts was meant to carry heat through the limestone into the cells. The system did not work as expected, and a new heating contract was sought by 1895. The jail was abandoned for a newer one around 1910-1911, then served as a house and as a cafe with an apartment. A new owner planned a restoration as a townhouse.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the jail is one of the most unusually designed structures of its kind in Georgia, with a stylish late nineteenth-century Romanesque exterior. Its limestone duct heating system was innovative and experimental, possibly a forerunner of forced-air heating, though it did not work as expected. The building also reflects the work of a regionally known jail-building firm.
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 74000706, listed June 5, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 103 Court St., Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkes County |
| Listed | June 5, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000706 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architect / builder | McDonald Brothers Jail Building Company of Louisville, Kentucky |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and in fair condition, awaiting restoration for adaptive use as a townhouse; earlier used as a house and as an apartment and restaurant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Washington Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.73901, -82.74098 (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 74000706.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16896138
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.