Cherokee National Jail
National Register of Historic Places

Cherokee National Jail

Tahlequah, Cherokee County, Oklahoma
Listed
June 27, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
74001656

About this property

The Cherokee National Prison Museum, formerly the Cherokee National Jail or Cherokee National Penitentiary (Cherokee: Ꮳꮃꭹ Ꭼꮎꮥꮎ Ꮧꮣꮝꮪꭹ), was built in 1874 as part of a governmental complex for the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It served the Cherokee Nation until it was sold to Cherokee County, Oklahoma, which used it as a jail into the 1970s. The prison, as built in 1874 for $6000, was a two-story building with a basement. The sandstone structure measures 48 feet (15 m) by 35 feet (11 m). The second floor has been removed and replaced with a flat roof. There are two sandstone porches on the main level, front and back, with hipped roofs. The Cherokee National Jail was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 28, 1974. The jail is now a museum, named the Cherokee National Prison Museum.

Location

Tahlequah, Cherokee County, Oklahoma
35.91203, -94.96747

Categories

NATIVE AMERICANPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Cherokee Supreme Court Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
American Legion Hut
Industrial
0.1 mi
Tahlequah Armory
Industrial
0.1 mi
Tahlequah Carnegie Library
Industrial
0.3 mi
French-Parks House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cherokee National Jail listed on the National Register?

Cherokee National Jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 27, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Cherokee National Jail?

Cherokee National Jail is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cherokee National Jail?

The period of significance for Cherokee National Jail is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1874.

Can I research the history near Cherokee National Jail?

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