Washington County Jail (Oregon)
Encyclopedia
The Washington County Jail is a log, one-room jail previously used in Oregon
. It was built in 1853 and was used until 1870. In 1986, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP), and is preserved by the Washington County Museum
in Washington County, Oregon
, United States
and is exhibited outside of the museum near its entrance. In 2008, the building was de-listed from the NRHP.
by William Brown for a cost of $900. During its use, two people died while confined to the jail, and a baby was born after it ceased being used as a jail. One of those dying in the jail was former Hudson's Bay Company employee William Burris who killed his family in 1855 in a drunken rage. However, despite rumors, American Civil War
General Ulysses S. Grant
was not jailed here while he was posted to Oregon before the Civil War.
In 1870, the building was sold to the Cave family. They lived in it briefly while their house was built, and then used the structure as an outbuilding. In 1953 the structure was moved to the Washington County Fairgrounds where it remained until 2003. Beginning in 2003, the building was restored at a cost of $75,000 and relocated from the county fairgrounds to the Washington County Museum.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It was built in 1853 and was used until 1870. In 1986, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP), and is preserved by the Washington County Museum
Washington County Museum
Washington County Museum is a history museum located in unincorporated Washington County, Oregon, United States at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus. Opened in 1975, the museum is operated by the Washington County Historical Society with a mission of preserving the history of the area...
in Washington County, Oregon
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is exhibited outside of the museum near its entrance. In 2008, the building was de-listed from the NRHP.
History
In 1853, the first Washington County Jail opened. It was built at Fourth and Washington Streets in Hillsboro, OregonHillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
by William Brown for a cost of $900. During its use, two people died while confined to the jail, and a baby was born after it ceased being used as a jail. One of those dying in the jail was former Hudson's Bay Company employee William Burris who killed his family in 1855 in a drunken rage. However, despite rumors, American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
was not jailed here while he was posted to Oregon before the Civil War.
In 1870, the building was sold to the Cave family. They lived in it briefly while their house was built, and then used the structure as an outbuilding. In 1953 the structure was moved to the Washington County Fairgrounds where it remained until 2003. Beginning in 2003, the building was restored at a cost of $75,000 and relocated from the county fairgrounds to the Washington County Museum.
Currently
In 1986, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Then in 2003 the building was disassembled and restored. Next, in 2004, the jail was re-assembled inside the Washington County Museum where it sat as a permanent exhibit, preserved in the climate controlled environment. On December 24, 2008, the jail was removed from NRHP after it was requested by the museum. In September 2008, the museum decided to move the jail outside, and in March 2009 the old log jail was relocated outside and became an outdoor exhibit on the grounds of the museum.Structure
The one room, 160 square feet (14.9 m²) wooden structure weighs 12,000 pounds. Washington County Jail is sixteen feet long, nine feet wide, and twelve feet tall. The jail was built in three months using Douglas fir timbers. The building originally housed a bucket, ankle chains, and straw mattresses.External links
- Image of the jail
- "The Old Log Jail: a Study in Old West Justice" - Washington County Museum
