Charleston County · Marker 10-150
Lincolnville Jail
134 W. Smith St., Lincolnville
Front inscription
On this site stands a small, wood frame building that for decades served as Lincolnville Jail. The jail is believed to have been built around 1900 and is one of the oldest institutional buildings remaining in Lincolnville, which formally incorporated in 1889. The jail was maintained by Town marshals who also oversaw local law enforcement and were employed in Lincolnville as early as the 1890s. More serious crimes were referred to the sheriff’s office.
Reverse inscription
The Town intendant (mayor) served as chief magistrate and presided over a court for lesser charges. The county health department closed the jail in 1933 due to unsafe conditions. It reopened later that year after being renovated and masonry-veneered by local builder Austin Hardee. The 4-cell jail remained in use until around 1960 and later fell into disrepair. The Town of Lincolnville built a fire and police station in front of the jail building around 1970.