Perry County Jail
Also known as: Perry County Jail Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1871 at 108 West Jackson Street in Pinckneyville, this brick building combined a county jail with an Italianate sheriff's residence. Plans were drawn by Samuel Hannaford of Cincinnati, and the contract went to a builder from Indianapolis at a price of $14,150. The jail replaced a small 1830s brick jail on the same site. Inside, eight iron cells stand in two back-to-back rows, surrounded by inner and outer corridors of riveted iron grillwork, with a separate cell for women prisoners on the second floor of the house. The sheriff's department used the building until 1987, and county offices and storage followed. Since 1993 the Perry County Historical Society has run it as a museum. Its exterior remains largely original apart from a changed roof and a few additions. The property was listed for its role in the county's legal history, including sheriffs' work during labor strife, Prohibition-era crime and a 1912 hanging held there.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is locally significant under Criterion A for its role in the development of the Perry County legal system. It served as jail and sheriff's home from 1871, and its cells, artwork and displays preserve the story of law and justice in the county.
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 00000943, listed August 10, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 108 W. Jackson St., Pinckneyville |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County |
| Listed | August 10, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000943 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1871-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Hannaford, Samuel, Architect; Haugh, E., Builder |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Law |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum managed by the Perry County Historical Society under a lease from the county; renovation and repairs are ongoing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.08061, -89.38341 (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 00000943.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7169752
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.