Erie County Jail

The Erie County Jail is a 19th-century correctional building in Sandusky that housed 26 cells and a sheriff's residence, constructed with blue limestone and steel bars in the Stick/Eastlake architectural style. The structure displays these original materials and design elements that defined prison construction of that period.

The building was constructed between 1882 and 1883 and served its original purpose as a jail until it was transformed into part of the Sandusky Library in 1990. This change of use ended more than a century of operation as a correctional facility.

The building reflects how ideas about jail design changed in the late 1800s and shows how people treated prisoners during that era. The blue limestone walls and steel bars visible today are reminders of those past approaches to incarceration.

The building is open to visitors as part of the library and displays the original jail structure with its cells and features. The best time to visit is during library hours when you can explore the historical rooms and learn about the building's past.

The sheriff and his family actually lived inside the jail building until 1972, when their living space was converted to offices. This practice was common in the 1800s when corrections officers kept their families on the grounds of such institutions.