Armstrong County's Old Jail

National Register of Historic Places Inventory.

Located at the terminus of Market Street, the Armstrong County Courthouse and Jail command a view of the main street of Kittanning.  Set against the hillside this Greek Revival style courthouse with its castle-like jail to the left is an impressive site.  The present courthouse is the third for Armstrong County and the second on the site.

Armstrong County was formed out of parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland and Lycoming Counties on March 12, 1800.  On December 17, 1804, the trusted of th4e new county, John Craig, James Sloan and James Barr, bought 150 acres from Dr. James Armstrong of Carlisle.  This 150 acres was to be divided into lots not more than 2/3 acre nor less than 1/4 acre.  At this time two acres were saved for public use; one acre on the southeast corner of Market and Jefferson Streets and one acre on the northwest corner of Market and McKean.

The County was organized for judicial purposes in 1805 and the first court was held in a log house on lot 121, the old site of the Reynolds House.  The first courthouse building was located in the one acre plot at the southeast corner of Market and Jefferson Streets.  This courthouse was a 50' square, tow story, brick building.  Two one story wings, one fronting on Market Street and the other on Jefferson Street, housed county offices.  The roof was hipped with a central cupola and bell.  Erection began circa 1809 and was completed in 1820.

On April 8, 1850 an act was passed for the erection of a new courthouse and the division and selling of the original lots, the money to be used for purchase of new lots.  Land was purchased at the head of Market Street and a two story brick courthouse was erected circa 1852 - 53.  This second courthouse was destroyed by fire on March 10, 1858.

The third and present courthouse was erected by Hulings and Dickey on the site of the burned courthouse in 1858 - 60 at the cost of about $32,000.00  Part brick and part stone this Greek Revival courthouse has an impressive portico and arcaded stone base.  Although its dome and second story windows show tendencies toward the undermining of Greek Revival purity, the Armstrong County Courthouse is the best and primary example of this style on a monumental style in the county.

Associated with and connected to the courthouse by a covered walkway of 13' is the Armstrong County Jail.  This is the third jail erected for Armstrong County.  The first jail built in 1805 was a substantial two story, stone structure located on the public lot on Market and McKean Streets.  The second jail building was constructed at the same time as and near the second courthouse.  This two story brick structure had an attached two story brick jailers house.  This jail however proved unsatisfactory owning to the numerous escapes through the roof.  The County Commissioners contracted with Harrison Brothers of Pittsburgh to raise the walls and put on a new roof.  But it was found that the walls would not support raising, the building was razed.  The Commissioners then contracted with the Harrison Brothers to erect a new jail next to the courthouse on Market Street. 

Construction began in 1870 and was competed by 1873 at a total cost of $252,000.00.  Stone for this massive castle-like jail was quarried from the sandstone quarry at Catfish, Clarion County.  Constructed of stone, brick and iron and measuring 114' X 50'  It contained 24 cells each of which measures 8' by 13' at construction.  Foundations are 24' deep from ground surface and 7' deep at the bottom.  The tower is 96' high, 18' square at the base and 10' square at the top, all of solid stone neatly tooled and surmounted with battlements.  All the outer surfaces of the building including gutters and cornice are an ashlars facing of stone.  The outer walls are 2 1/2' thick and lined on the inside with brick 4" thick.  All stonework was laid with hydraulic cement no lime having been used except in plastering the inner walls.  Windows have rounded solid concrete arches with keystones.  The interior woodwork is pine.  Floors are brick and 13" thick.  The front bay areas are used as jailers residences. 

January 1982 Dedication of the Newly Renovated Jail Pamphlet.

The existing Armstrong County Jail was the third Jail built in the county.  Built between 1870 and 1873 by Harrison Brothers at a cost of $250,000.00.  At the time, the jail, connected to the Armstrong County Courthouse by an enclosed walkway, was considered one of the strongest, securest, and most substantial buildings in the United States.  Although more than 100 years of use has taken its toll on the castle-like structure, the newly completed renovatio0n have helped to restore this claim, in addition to updating the security of the correctional institution and providing the county with an operation of increased efficiency.

Total cost of the jail renovations was &685,896.00, all of which has been fully paid for through county funds.  The existing cellblock, presently equipped to house 44 males, was divided into tow separate security areas with individual stations for guards and controls.  Each cellblock has the capacity of 22 inmates, prior to the renovations, the facility was capable of handling a total of 22 males.  At the time of the original construction, the jail contained 24 cells.  With the installation of a closed circuit television and monitoring system throughout the facility, the guards while remaining in their stations, are able to visually control and monitor the actions of inmates in the exercise yard, intake vestibule, and the newly built stair tower, which was constructed to comply with state fire and panic regulations. 

The fortress like features include 13 inch thick brick floors, 30 inch thick outer walls.  All of the outer walls are an ashlars facing of stone, lined with brick four inches thick.  The building's foundation is 24 feet deep from the surface and seven feet wide at the bottom.  Stone for this massive, castle-like jail was obtained from a sandstone quarry in Catfish, Clarion County.

Also relatively unaltered is the jail's exterior appearance - Victorian architecture strongly influenced by Gothic Revival features.  Two front facing towers topped with battlements frame the structure's entrance.  The center battlemented tower has recessed carved stonework in the shape of medieval crosses on each side.  The windows feature rounded solid concrete arches with elaborate keystones.  A plaque on the front of the building reads: "Armstrong County Prison, Built 1871, Commissioners D. Slagle, P. Miller, T. Pontius, and T. Montgomery".