About this property
The Old Jail (also known as Authentic Old Jail) is a historic jail in St. Augustine, Florida, United States. It is located at 167 San Marco Avenue. On August 27, 1987, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The St. Johns County Jail now serves as the Old Jail Museum. The building was designed and constructed by the P.J. Pauley Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri in 1891. Its construction was financed by Henry Flagler, who struck a deal with the county for $10,000 because the former jail building stood on land that Flagler needed for the construction of his Ponce de León Hotel. The Old Jail served as the St Johns County Jail until 1953. After the jail facilities were moved to a new, more modern building, the vacant Old Jail building was sold to entrepreneur Henry "Slim" McDaniel who began operating the remarkably well preserved building as a roadside tourist attraction. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Originally built to house up to 72 prisoners, the two-story northern wing of the jail consists of a general population and maximum security area, a women's section and a lower level kitchen. Maximum security housed the most dangerous prisoners held at the jail and includes a death row cell, for those condemned to die. A total of eight men were hung from the gallows on the jail compound during its history. Overall conditions at the jail for those serving varying sentences were quite poor by modern standards and prisoners were typically used as free farm laborers during the day. Baths were infrequent, toilet facilities consisted of one bucket per cell and diet was poor and was typically supplemented by any animals that the prisoners might catch while working in the fields. Segregation by race was steadfastly adhered to at the jail and disease, violence and death were commonplace. The two-story southern wing of the jail consists of an office for the sheriff and living quarters for his family. The Old Jail Museum consists of a restored jail with sheriff's living quarters. It also contains a display of weaponry and a pictorial history of the hangings carried out at the Old Jail, with emphasis on the time the Sheriff CJ Perry was in residence with his family. The Jail is only accessible by guided tour, with costumed guides "processing" in the new prisoners. The Jail also serves as the grand finale to Old Town Trolley's Ghost and Gravestones tour, allowing visitors to access the building by night as well. Dan White—American actor in film and television. Arrested in St. Augustine in November 1930
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Old St. Johns County Jail
This page lists Old St. Johns County Jail. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Old St. Johns County Jail listed on the National Register?
Old St. Johns County Jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1987.
What type of historic resource is Old St. Johns County Jail?
Old St. Johns County Jail is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Old St. Johns County Jail?
The period of significance for Old St. Johns County Jail is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Old St. Johns County Jail?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old St. Johns County Jail will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in St. Johns County
Historic places, battles, and census history across St. Johns County.
Explore St. JohnsCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Old St. Johns County Jail will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.