Tag Archives: Georgia Jails

Old Meriwether County Jail, 1896, Greenville

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This historic jail plays a significant role in Murder in Coweta County, the bestselling book by the late Margaret Ann Barnes, which was later made into a movie starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith. Based on the 1948 murder of Wilson Turner, who was jailed here by a corrupt sheriff, then let go to be killed just over the county line near Moreland [Coweta County] by John Wallace, a bootlegger who controlled the sheriff and most of Meriwether County at the time. Wallace was eventually convicted. The case was significant in that it was the first time a white man had been convicted of murder on the testimony of African-Americans in Georgia. They had been witnesses to the original crime. As a teenager, I was lucky to have met Ms. Barnes, who recalled the impression this jail and its dark history had on her ongoing quest for “Southern justice” through her writing. The jail is now a private residence.

National Register of Historic Places

Ben Hill County Jail, 1906, Fitzgerald

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David McCrimmon wrote on 26 February 2011: My grandfather was Virgil Wells, and he was the sheriff of Ben Hill county in the 1930s and 40s. My mother and her sisters grew up living in this jail. They lived on the lower floors and the cells were on the upper floor. I grew up in Ben Hill County and moved away in the early 60s.

National Register of Historic Places

Old Hancock County Jail, 1905, Sparta

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This sturdy old granite structure was recently restored.

Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Old Jefferson County Jail, 1890s, Louisville

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As was common in the earlier days of South Georgia, sheriffs and their families often lived in jails. During his 32 years of service to Jefferson County, Sheriff Zollie Compton and his family lived in this jail until his retirement in 1992.

Louisville Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

 

Oldest Jail in Georgia, Circa 1783, Warthen

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Located today on private property, this structure is nonetheless accessible and widely visited. Thought to be the oldest standing jail in Georgia, it’s better known as the Aaron Burr Jail. The former Vice-president is said to have been held here overnight during transport to Richmond for his 1807 trial for treason. A granite-and-bronze marker was placed at the site by the Governor Jared Irwin Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. However, research and evidence suggests that this story is apocryphal. A 1906 newspaper article by Col. Macon Warthen, Sr., gave a very detailed account of Burr’s movements from Fort Wilkinson (Milledgeville) to Shoals of Ogeechee in Hancock County. According to Col. Warthen’s research, Burr spent the night in Shoals of the Ogeechee, not in Warthen (then known as Wicker).

A bronze marker placed by the Governor Jared Irwin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution reads: “Site of First Washington County Jail – Erected 1783 of Logs – Aaron Burr Incarcerated Here 1807, En Route to Trial for Treason“. I believe this claim is possible, but I wish there were further documentation.

Different sources list different years for the date of construction, generally ranging from 1783 – 1793. Since there’s no way of specifically dating it, my source is John Linley’s Architecture of Middle Georgia: The Oconee Area.

Warthen Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Georgia State Prison Cemetery, 1937, Reidsville

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The Georgia State Prison Cemetery is a part of the Rogers State Prison complex near Reidsville. It is a stark reminder of the realities of crime and isolation these men brought upon their lives, and the fact that the crosses are numbered with no names is striking.

This marker, provided by inmates on 1 July 1972, notes: “The first interment was on December 20, 1937. The state provides a Christian burial for all deceased inmates for whom private or family burial arrangements are not available.”

For many years, Reidsville was known as the home of Georgia’s electric chair, so I suspect some of these interments are of men who were executed for heinous crimes. There are nearly 700 graves located here.

 

Old Colquitt County Jail, 1915, Moultrie

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This is one of the best examples of a “Citadel Style” jail in Georgia. It was called one of “the most impressive buildings in Moultrie” when it was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and that still holds true today. It was designed by the Southern Structural Steel Company of San Antonio, Texas. Once painted a light color, it has been returned to what I presume was its original appearance. It now serves as the headquarters for the Moultrie-Colquitt Chamber of Commerce.

National Register of Historic Places

 

Old Peach County Jail, 1925, Fort Valley

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Peach County, Georgia’s newest, was created in 1924. This jail was built soon thereafter and for many years housed the sheriff’s family [first floor], with inmates on the second floor. The jail was decommissioned in 1986. As of 2016, it is slated for demolition. It may already be gone.

Fort Screven Guard House, 1905, Tybee Island

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Built by the U. S. Army, the Fort Screven Guard House served the military in various functions until being decommissioned in the 1940s. It briefly served as the Tybee Jail, in the 1950’s and 1960’s and became the Tybee Island Community Center in the 1970’s. Inappropriate modifications were made during these decades. Recent restoration work has undone much of this and the guard house is once again a first class landmark, among the oldest public buildings on Tybee Island.

National Register of Historic Places

Calaboose, Coleman

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Calaboose is a rarely seen term today that implies a temporary local jail, often in unincorporated areas. This has to be one of the smallest jails in Georgia. Thanks to James Palmer and Rick Ezell for the identification.