This view of the jail is from the south, looking north, before restoration efforts began in 1993.
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By 1992 Daviess County’s unique antique jail had been neglected for many years. Its future was at a crossroads: either repairs must be made or the decay would soon push expenses past practicality.
The roof leaked and guttering was gone; the exterior brick of the jail octagon was “soft” and crumbling due to an interior metal lining holding moisture against the walls. Metal screens covering jail windows were not authentic and no longer secure to framework. Mortar no longer stabilized foundation limestones. Sandstone windowsills on the sheriff’s residence were badly eroded. A porch off the kitchen had rotted away as had the cellar entry …and so on.
Neglect and water damages were also evident inside the jail and residence.
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- The county jail was modified during its last years of use. The octogan brick building was divided with a metal wall creating two halves. Sections of the curved cage were cut and welded to create a holding space (right) within the enlarged jail cell. Toiletry was anchored in cement; wooden benches and table plus iron bedframes were the only other furnishings. Originally, one large window was located on seven of the octagon building and the wall around the squirrel cage was brick. The county later downsized window openings and added metal paneling covering walls and ceiling.
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- The locker at the jail entrance not only secured personal items for inmates but also housed the hand crank used to spin the squirrel cage. This is how the jail entry appeared before renovations began in 1992.
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- The personal belongings of jail inmates were secured in a jail entry locker, kept behind this combination lock. The locker was part of the steel entrance doorway.
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- A locker, to hold prisoners’ personal items during incarcerations, was to the left of the heavy metal swinging door entrance into the jail. A combination lock secured the locker. The singular doorway was also the jail’s only exit, thus contributing to the state’s condemnation of the facility’s use.
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- For added security the lever used to operate the inner doorway to the squirrel cage could be padlocked to deny its use.
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- An emphasis on function and security was evident during the last years the squirrel cage jail was in use. Much of the original ironworks had been salvaged and sold for scrap; the octogan jail was split into halves. Bathroom facilities were anchored in concrete — a far departure from the jail’s original design.
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- Daviess County modified its squirrel cage jail in its latter day use. A wall bisecting the octogan brick building was built but left the center axle of the old squirrel cage intact. Here you can see the heavy bearings which enabled the squirrel cage to spin, with modern tin heating ducts providing furnace heat for inmates.
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- Pie-shaped jail cells hung to a central “axle” built with heavy bearings so as to spin the “squirrel cage.” Gear teeth at the perimeter of the cage meshed so that the 8-cell cage could rotate, powered by the jailer’s hand crank outside the jail’s secure and only entrance. Reconstructed jail parts were assembled around this authentic axle; a viewing window was designed for visitors to consider how the squirrel cage functioned.
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- Many are fascinated by the graffiti evident on jail wall panels. Each instance of graffiti tells its own story (inappropriate etchings found in the paint were removed). This was a count jail housing all sorts of people arrested for misdemeanors and felony crime.
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- When visitors look opposite the unique squirrel cage jail, many are fascinated by the graffiti still evident on jail wall panels. Each instance of graffiti tells its own story (inappropriate etchings found in the paint were removed). This was a count jail housing all sorts of people arrested for misdemeanors and felony crime.
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- When visitors look opposite the unique squirrel cage jail, many are fascinated by the graffiti still evident on jail wall panels. Each instance of graffiti tells its own story (inappropriate etchings found in the paint were removed). This was a count jail housing all sorts of people arrested for misdemeanors and felony crime.
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- Originally designed to operate 8 jail cells rotating behind the stationary bars of the “squirrel cage,” the jail was changed to be two large holding areas. A solid metal wall bisected the building; squirrel cage bars were configured to provide two holding cells (right). Metal panels lined walls and ceiling with concrete poured for floors and to secure toiletries. Window openings were downsized, with metal grating welded over the openings for security. (date unknown)
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- The condition of interior rooms at the 1889 Squirrel Cage Jail residence pointed to a complete remodeling when restoration efforts began. A water leak from the roof above caused this damage to a second floor bedroom.
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- Some rooms of the sheriff’s residence at the squirrel cage jail didn’t seem to be structurally distressed. Removing layers of wallpaper was the challenge.
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- Some rooms of the sheriff’s residence at the squirrel cage jail didn’t seem to be structurally distressed. Removing layers of wallpaper was the challenge.
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- Amid the debris of plaster and lathes chiseled from interior walls and ceiling joists, this post posed the prevailing question: “Can This Be Our Future Museum?” Membership in the Daviess County Historical Society was mostly inactive after publishing a county history book in 1985, but a few members rallied to embark on restoring the squirrel cage jail.
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- The metal staircase leading downward from holding cells on the second floor was structurally sound when jail renovations began. Peeling paint made the upstairs look worse than things really were.
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- Even the attic above the rotary jail offers another reason why the antique is unique. The original operational design had a water barrel positioned in this attic to provide the means to flush out toilets in the inmate cells below. A lever “tripped” the flush with each full rotation of the squirrel cage.
Despite its problems, the jail still had much which had weathered the test of time. These photos reveal the condition of Daviess County’s antique Squirrel Cage Jail in Gallatin, MO, prior to renovations completed in 1993. Among those inspecting the premises and assessing possibilities were Wayne Clevenger, Dan Lockridge, Darryl Wilkinson, Larry Richards, and Carol O’Hare.
The crawl space underneath the Squirrel Cage jail reveals some secrets and jail construction and modifications. These photos were taken in 1993, showing scenes which probably are unchanged today:
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- Those interested in the unique jail’s construction are also interested in what is not easily seen beneath the rotary jail. This shows what was found in the crawl space in 1992.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Those interested in the unique jail’s construction are also interested in what is not easily seen beneath the rotary jail. This shows what was found in the crawl space in 1992.
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- Those interested in the unique jail’s construction are also interested in what is not easily seen beneath the rotary jail. This shows what was found in the crawl space in 1992.
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- Those interested in the unique jail’s construction are also interested in what is not easily seen beneath the rotary jail. This shows what was found in the crawl space in 1992.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Those interested in the unique jail’s construction are also interested in what is not easily seen beneath the rotary jail. This shows what was found in the crawl space in 1992.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Piled underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that made the rotary jail operate. Besides the circular water trough for wastewater removal, long rocker arms once allowed manual adjustments whenever the rotating cage got out of balance.
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- Piled underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that made the rotary jail operate. These are rollers torched from long rocker arms which once allowed manual adjustments whenever the rotating cage got out of balance. Such adjustments, however, required the jailer to labor inside an odorous crawl space …which was reluctantly and seldomly done.
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- Brick pillars stablized the perimeter of the rotary jail when concrete was poured during remodeling. Corregated steel was positioned between I-beams so that concrete replaced the stone pathway around the squirrel cage inside the jail’s exterior brick walls.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
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- Underneath the squirrel cage jail are pieces of ironworks that once made the rotary jail operate. These offcast pieces of iron and plumbing also tell a story of jail modifications made over the years.
Some initial decisions were easy to make. Although the Daviess County Historical Society had funds, the organization was inactive since publishing its last history book in 1985. The society had no revenue stream to finance jail restoration and ongoing maintenance. Plus, due to insurance considerations, the jail should continue to be owned by Daviess County. Restoration or even simple improvement projects would necessarily come from volunteers and by donations.
The immediate concern was roof replacement. In fact, initial intentions hardly envisioned much beyond steps to halt the flow of water damages to both the jail and its residence. In 1992 the idea was simply to somehow hold the unique antique building together so that perhaps in some later day, someone could restore and properly preserve the jail. Three volunteers — Dan Lockridge, Wayne Clevenger, and Darryl Wilkinson — began meeting regularly to make plans toward that end.
