May 2025.
The elaborate Old Pickaway County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence (Old Sheriff’s Residence for brevity) stands just west of the courthouse. It is an interesting union of Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque residential architecture. Regrettably, I couldn’t find very much information online, and most of it comes from a questionable source.
The Old Sheriff’s Residence is located at 139 West Franklin Street in downtown Circleville, Ohio. It is bordered by Franklin Street and houses used by businesses to the north, parking lots to the south, the Pickaway County Courthouse to the east, and more houses to the west.
History
The only concrete, trustworthy information I could find about the old Sheriff’s Residence was the brief blurb in the Circleville Historic District NRHP write-up: it was an existing residence built circa 1890 that was converted into the sheriff’s residence and jail afterwards. Pickaway County’s sheriff’s office website only lists the county’s sheriffs in their "history" section, not anything about the old or new jails.
Another website lists more detailed history, but it seems to be a sketchier “inmate lookup” site that isn’t operated by Pickaway County or the sheriff’s office. Therefore, take this history with a grain of salt. Pickaway County’s first jail was a log cabin built in 1812, which was used until 1836, when a new brick building was constructed at the corner of Court Street and Main Street.
The recently acquired house had a jail block added to the rear, which received a new third story in 1896. It was expanded and remodeled in 1914. Pickaway County operated this jail until it became overcrowded in the late 1970s, and the current jail building was built in 1984. It has a larger capacity (200 inmates) and more up-to-date security features. Recently, another 50 beds were added in 2019.
Photos
Let’s start by looking southwest at the principal facade of the house:
This is a compelling synthesis of Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture. The massing and avoidance of flat wall surfaces is very typical of Queen Anne houses, as seen in the tower, multiple cross gables, and various projections creating an overarching asymmetry and dynamism. The materiality and ornamentation are Richardsonian Romanesque features. Dark stone string courses and vaulting contrasted with a lighter material (brick here) is a hallmark of the style, and the carvings along the cornice are in the Romanesque manner.
Straight on:
Note how the wrap-around porch, another typical Queen Anne feature, is expressed in dark, heavy masonry and bundled columns instead of light wood spindlework.
Looking southeast:
A few alterations are visible here, such as the vinyl windows and awning over the porch, but the remainder of the building is very intact. It even retains its original slate roofing, a common material on more elaborate houses of the period.
A better look at the west side and cell block in the rear:
The addition was designed at roughly the same time, which explains why it blends in so well with the original house. The base uses slightly larger ashlar, but the materiality, string courses/cornice, and ornamentation are carried over. Also note the vaulting beneath the front porch.
Detail of the porch roof and columns:
The columns are bundled and take on a cruciform shape in plan, which is interesting. The capitals are typical elaborated Corinthian designs, and they each vary slightly in their detailing, another common feature of Romanesque architecture. It’s also odd how they don’t directly support the lintel above--rather, a little block stands in between.
The front entrance retains its original doors and transom window:
Detail of the cross gable and large dormer:
I like the rich detail across the cornice and arched window. The dormer behind seems to be executed in copper, which explains the green patina. It contrasts with the brown masonry in a lovely way.
I think the tower is my favorite part:
I like the addition of the organic panels above the cornice line of the rest of the building. It offsets the conical roof a little more and draws more attention to it. I’m unsure what exactly crowns the pinnacle…it looks like either a dragon or merperson to me.
This seems like a pretty underappreciated building in terms of its internet presence--I barely even found any photos on Flickr. Hopefully these pictures will draw more attention to a lovely and intact example of Circleville’s architecture.
Sources:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/78002171.pdf
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