Dubuque County Jail

Building in Dubuque, Iowa

United States historic place

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]
2009 jail photo; Dubuque County Courthouse on right.

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.

## History

[edit]

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]

## See also

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

## References

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1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. ^ a b "Dubuque County Jail". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 18, 2004. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
3. ^ a b ""Dubuque County Jail", January 20, 1987, by Ralph J. Christian and Howard Iber" (pdf). National Park Service. p. 19\. National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
4. ^ a b The History of Dubuque County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Company. 1880. p. 405–406.
5. ^ a b c "Dubuque County Jail | Dubuque, IA - Official Website".
6. ^ "Dubuque County Jail--Accompanying 10 photos, exterior and interior, from 1986" (pdf). National Park Service. p. 19\. National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
7. ^ Wiedemann, Katie (November 11, 2016). "Dubuque County offices move into old jail building". KCRG-TV9. Retrieved November 13, 2016.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dubuque County Jail.

* County Jail \- City of Dubuque

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National Register of Historic Places in Dubuque, Iowa

Civic|

* Carnegie-Stout Public Library
* Dubuque City Hall
* Dubuque County Courthouse
* Dubuque County Jail
* Julien Dubuque Monument

Clubhouses|

* Dubuque YMCA Building

Commercial buildings|

* John Bell Block
* Bishop's Block
* Diamond Jo Boat Store and Office
* German Bank
* Interstate Power Company Building
* Roshek Brothers Department Store
* Security Building
* Town Clock Building
* Ziepprecht Block

Education|

* Old Chapel Hall
* Sacred Heart School

Historic districts|

* Cathedral Historic District
* Dubuque Millworking Historic District
* Eagle Point Park Historic District
* Fenelon Place Residential Historic District
* Four Mounds Estate Historic District
* Holy Ghost Catholic Historic District
* Jackson Park Historic District
* Langworthy Historic District
* Lock and Dam No. 11 Historic District
* Loras College Historic District
* Old Main Street Historic District
* St. Mary's Catholic Church Historic District
* Seminary Hill Residential Historic District
* Upper Central Avenue Commercial Historic District
* Upper Iowa Street Historic District
* Upper Main Street Historic District
* Washington Street and East 22nd Street Historic District
* Washington Residential Historic District
* West Eleventh Street Historic District

Houses|

* Andrew–Ryan House
* Garland House
* Mathias Ham House
* Charles T. Hancock House
* Ora Holland House
* Hollenfelz House
* Kelley House
* Langworthy House
* T. Ben Loetscher House
* McMahon House
* Johann Christian Frederick Rath House
* Redstone
* J.H. Thedinga House

Industrial buildings|

* Dubuque Casket Company
* Dubuque Freight House
* Dubuque Star Brewery
* Metz Manufacturing Company
* George W. Rogers Company Shot Tower
* Schroeder-Klein Grocery Company Warehouse

Parks|

* Washington Park

Religious buildings|

* St. John's Episcopal Church
* St. Luke's Methodist Episcopal Church
* St. Patrick's Catholic Church
* St. Raphael's Cathedral

Theatres|

* Grand Opera House
* Orpheum Theatre and Site

Transportation|

* Julien Dubuque Bridge
* Dunleith and Dubuque Bridge
* Fenelon Place Elevator
* WILLIAM M. BLACK (dredge)

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