Camden County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1910, the former Camden County Jail is a two-story brick building about 29 by 24 feet, with a slate hip roof, segmentally arched windows, corbelled brickwork and iron-barred openings. County commissioners ordered it after the previous jail burned in March 1910, when four prisoners set the building afire. They accepted the lowest bid, from the Stewart Jail Works Company of Cincinnati, which built it for $6,250 and finished it by early June. Inside, iron doors carry the company nameplate, and the second floor holds a freestanding iron cellblock, locally called the bullpen, with eight bunks and controls operated from outside. The jail is significant as an example of county-level incarceration in the early twentieth century and as one of several surviving Stewart Jail Works buildings in North Carolina. Its small size and short period of use reflect the limits of a sparsely populated, agricultural county. By 1951 prisoners were sent to Elizabeth City, and the building has been used for storage. It stands near the 1847 Greek Revival courthouse.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the jail is a well-preserved example of early twentieth century county incarceration and of the work of the Stewart Jail Works Company. Its austere interior, including the second-floor iron cellblock, reflects conditions in small rural county jails. Its small size and brief use reflect the difficulty rural counties had in providing penal facilities.
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 84001950, listed May 3, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 343, Camden |
|---|---|
| County | Camden County |
| Listed | May 3, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001950 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Stewart Jail Works Company / Southern Jail Building Company |
| Architectural style | Standard commercial style of the early twentieth century, with a high hip roof more typical of Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used for storage at least since September 1951; the county later sent prisoners to the Pasquotank County jail in Elizabeth City. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.32907, -76.17473 (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 84001950.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18148770
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.