In 2012, the 1910 Jail closes to the public. Seen here are walls of the jail before it closed.
The museum’s historic Jail is coming back! After years of diligent fund raising in the “Save Our Jail” Project the renovation work began in April with removal of the 1970’s air conditioning ducts, including abatement of their black mastic sealer. Original ceilings hidden for decades under drywall now are visible; the drywall concealed the ducts. Next, per the 2005 master plan, comes pre-construction demolition as electrical lines are removed, along with wooden windows and doors slated for refurbishing. Even the Jail’s old metal stairway will be dismantled carefully and re-installed later after renovation. The major task , however, will be inserting a moisture barrier at ground level into the brick walls, preventing further absorption of ground water (“rising damp”) and enabling the bricks to dry out. The whole project should take about a year, setting the stage for the Jail’s long-awaited re-opening with new exhibits plus the infamous hanging room! A specific re-opening date will be set in the near future. Stay tuned!