Perry County Jail, Historical county jail museum in Pinckneyville, Illinois, United States.
The Perry County Jail is a two-story brick building in Pinckneyville featuring Italianate architectural details and historically served as both a jail and residence for the county sheriff. The structure contains distinct zones for male and female inmates and now functions as a museum operated by the Perry County Historical Society.
The building was constructed in 1871 and served for over a century as the county's jail and the sheriff's residence. It was abandoned for incarceration purposes in 1987 when operations moved to modern facilities elsewhere.
The jail reflects 19th-century building traditions through its brick construction and deliberate spatial divisions that show how incarceration was physically organized at the time. Visitors can observe the separate areas for male and female inmates and see how this design reflected the social thinking of that era.
The museum is located in downtown Pinckneyville and is easily accessible on foot from the main commercial area. Visitors should be aware that historic rooms feature narrow stairs and low ceilings in some sections of the building.
The museum displays artifacts from the 1800s including period furniture and clothing, along with a preserved one-room schoolhouse exhibit that documents rural life of that era. This rare pairing of jail and school exhibits offers insight into everyday life beyond just incarceration history.
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