Dubuque County Jail

Dubuque County Jail
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Dubuque County Jail
Location	36 East 8th St. Dubuque, Iowa
Coordinates	42°30′3.74″N 90°39′52.89″W / 42.5010389°N 90.6646917°W / 42.5010389; -90.6646917
Area	less than one acre
Built	1858
Built by	David Armstrong
Architect	Rague & Drake
Architectural style	Exotic Revival
NRHP reference No.	72000473
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 27, 1972[1]
Designated NHL	May 28, 1987[2]

The Dubuque County Jail is a historic building at 36 East 8th Street in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. Completed in 1858, the jail is an example of the uncommon Egyptian Revival style. It is architecturally a highly original work of John F. Rague, who also designed the 1837 Old Capitol of Illinois and the 1840 Territorial Capitol of Iowa.^[3] The building was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture in 1987. It served as a jail for more than a century, became a museum in 1975, and was converted into county offices in 2016.

The first Dubuque County, Iowa jail was a stone building nicknamed the "calaboose" built in 1836. It was succeeded by a log building at the corner of 8th and Clay Streets that was intended to be built as a county courthouse. By 1855, it was apparent that a larger structure was needed. On April 1, 1856, citizens of the county voted to approve the construction of the current structure for $40,000. On April 17, the construction contract was awarded to David Armstrong. Rague & Drake designed the structure.^[4]

The new county jail was built with blue limestone from Dunleith, Illinois. Completed in 1858, the jail had thirty-two cells and a Sheriff's residence. On June 1, 1874, a six-cell addition was approved for the eastern portion of the building to house female prisoners. It was completed that December for $5,600.^[4] The building was used as a jail until 1971.^[5]

On June 27, 1972, the building was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1975, the Dubuque Art Association rented the building as a museum. In 1983, the Dubuque County Supervisors extended the lease for twenty more years; this marked the first time that the association had a long-term home.^[5] The jail was declared a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987.^[2][3][6] When the lease expired in 2003, the association moved into a bank building by Washington Park. The Dubuque County Historical Society took over operations, turning the gallery into the Old Jail Museum.^[5] The county felt the space was underutilized, and converted it to office space in 2016 for the county medical examiner, I.T. department and veteran's affairs office. the renovation cost $800,000 and maintained and restored much of the original character of the building.^[7]

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dubuque County, Iowa

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dubuque County Jail.

• County Jail - City of Dubuque