Chesterfield County Jail

Front inscription

This 2-story brick building was constructed in 1894 to house the Chesterfield Co. Jail. Built by the Pawley Jail Company of St. Louis, Mo., for $9,000-$10,000, it replaced an older facility described as “unsafe” and prone to escape. The T-shaped building included separate sections for male and female prisoners, the sheriff’s office, and living quarters for the sheriff’s family. The south wing was added later.

Reverse inscription

Located just S of the jail until 2014 was a 75,000-gallon, 100-feet-tall water tower built in 1922 as part of a modernization of the town’s water system. In 1979, at the urging of the S.C. Department of Corrections, Chesterfield County agreed to close the jail after prisoners spoke out against poor conditions. It was replaced by a new facility south of the town. This building continued to house other County offices.