Oconee County Cage
The Oconee County Cage is a small wheeled metal structure built around 1900 and located in Walhalla. It features metal bars, a sheet metal roof and floor, and bunk beds inside, designed to hold small groups of prisoners during work details or transport.
The cage was built in the early 1900s to hold prisoners working on county labor details such as road and field work. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1980s and remains one of the best preserved examples of its kind in South Carolina.
The cage reflects how punishment and labor were connected in this region's past. Its simple design shows how people viewed imprisonment and control over movement in those times.
The cage is located at Browns Square Drive next to the Oconee Heritage Center in the historic district of Walhalla. It sits near downtown and is easy to find by walking through the old part of town.
The cage could be pulled by horses or mules, making it fully mobile for use at different work sites. Inside, a metal barrel served as a heat source during cold weather.
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