Jailhouse Jaunt-Stillwater

May 20, 2013
Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to tour the historic jail in Stillwater, Minnesota.  It was known by some –as The Crossbar Motel!

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

The jail is part of the Washington County Historic Courthouse  (read about it HERE) which was built shortly after the Civil War while the lumber business was booming all along the St. Croix River. The courthouse served as the judicial and administrative center of the county from 1870 until 1972.  At that time, all of these services were moved to a new, modern location a few miles away.

The Historic Courthouse was restored and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Courthouse is a popular site for wedding receptions and conferences and the jail is open for tours.

This jail register, written in long-hand, cites a description of each of the inmates, their occupations (most were laborers) and their offenses–larceny, highway robbery, lascivious cohabitation...

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

The last occupants of the jail left their mark…

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

Jailhouse graffiti

(Doodles or graffiti?)

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

Touring the jail, one gets a sense of the isolation

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

The boredom…

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

Washington County, MN, Historic Courthouse and Jail

And the discomfort of the hapless inmates!

Thank you to FVKennedy for sharing her photos from our Jailhouse Jaunt.  Check out Faye’s very creative use of color at her Tumblr Blog:  ColorRouteCo

To read more about Stillwater:    The Commander

and  An Andrew Carnegie Library Jaunt

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