Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail

The Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail was originally built as a correctional facility and government building at 411 West Harrie Street in Newberry, Michigan, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982[1] and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975.[2]

Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail
Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail is located in Michigan
Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail
Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail is located in the United States
Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail
Location411 W. Harrie St., Newberry, Michigan
Coordinates46°21′9″N 85°30′55″W
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1894
ArchitectLovejoy & Demar
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No.82002848[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 27, 1982
Designated MSHSAugust 15, 1975[2]
Rear view showing the jailhouse

History

The town of Newberry was founded in 1882, and was the only settlement of any size in the area when Luce County was founded five years later.[3] Newberry was named county seat,[3] and experienced an early period of extensive growth in the 1880s and 1890s.[2] A grandiose Victorian courthouse was erected in Newberry in 1890. A few years later, the Luce County Jail and Sheriff's Residence was constructed, designed by the Marquette firm of Lovejoy and Demar as a counterpoint to the nearby courthouse.[2] The jail was built on land donated by the Peninsular Land Company, and was completed in 1894.[2] Contemporary accounts describe the jail as "well planned for the classification of prisoners," with "bathtubs and lavatories provided."[4]

Luce County Historical Museum

This structure served as the jail and sheriff's residence for over 70 years. In 1975, the nearby courthouse was torn down, but the Luce County Historical Society rescued the jail and restored the building. In 1976, it reopened as the Luce County Historical Museum.[2] The museum contains the original kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms of the building, as well as historical displays and one of the original jail cells.[5]

Description
Close up of the state historic marker

The Luce County Jail and Sheriff's House is a three-story structure built with three wings in an irregular plan. Two side wings adjoin the main front section, with a third two-story wing, housing the jail, attached at the rear. The structure sits on a split fieldstone foundation. The first story is faced with Jacobsville sandstone, the second is faced with red, sand-molded brick, while the upper story is covered with fishscale shingles. The roofing was originally wood shakes but is now asphalt shingling. A metal-roofed cupola is on one corner of the building. Romanesque detailing on the building include the cut stone, arches over the windows and doors, and the polished granite columns supporting the front porch overhang.[2]

The building remains essentially unaltered from its original construction, and is an effective reminder of the opulence of the surrounding community in the Victorian era.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  3. John Fedynsky (2010), Michigan's County Courthouses, University of Michigan Press, pp. 107–108, ISBN 978-0-472-11728-4
  4. Michigan State Board of Corrections and Charities (1901), Biennial report of the Michigan State Board of Corrections and Charities, W. S. George & Co., state printers and binders, p. 175
  5. Char Simons (2004). "Luce County Historical Museum". ExploringTheNorth.com. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
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