WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — What has been labeled as the oldest jail in the State of Ohio — and some say the country — was torn down on Thursday.
The former Fayette County Jail, located at 113 East Market Street in Washington Court House, was decommissioned earlier this year. It came after voters passed a $20+ million levy to build a new Sheriff’s office and jail on Robinson Road.
On Thursday, it was met with a wrecking crew who was contracted by the county to tear the building down. The space, which sits on the land of the Fayette County Courthouse will be turned into green space, according to county officials.
The former jail was built in 1885 as the “Sheriff’s Residence.” It was inside the building, which used to be a house, that the county Sheriff, his spouse, and inmates would live. The Sheriff’s spouse — historically a woman — would be the cook who fed the inmates three times a day.
The building across the street, formerly known as “the Sheriff’s annex” was once an auto garage. The building housed the patrol and detective divisions for the last two decades. The county said they aren’t sure what they will do with the annex moving forward, but discussions have been had about locating other county agencies to the site or even auctioning off the property.
The new jail levy was passed in 2019, and the new jail was opened in the summer of 2021.