Old
Jailhouse Museum
 March
of 1853 was a time of real change for the small village of West Bend. It
was then that the state legislation formed the new Washington County.
Since no facilities were available to make immediate provisions for a new
courthouse, jailhouse, and records repository, West Bend was very
fortunate that a group of local citizens and founders set aside the entire
block, now known as Old Courthouse Square, to build three buildings at
this site.
Compared
to today's modern buildings, a set of simple wood frame structures
occupied the square. Built between 1857-58, the jailhouse consisted of a
story and half building that housed the sheriff and his family as well as
accommodations for the prisoners. The site was the southeast corner of the
square. Adjacent to the building was a stockade (exercise yard) and privy.
The
jailhouse was comparable to many of the homes of the time. Lamps for
lighting, wood stoves for heating and cooking, plumbing, electrical
service and water/sewage service were available only at some time in the
future. The building never received such modern facilities because by 1855
an entirely new jailhouse was being planned.
When
it was decided to build an entire new complex of buildings in the
mid-1880s, disposal of the old buildings took place. Before dispersal
could take place existing buildings, with the exception of the records
repository, had to be moved to the west side of the square. The vacated
area was than available for the new buildings.
Unique
in its architecture and use, the jailhouse structure features both the
home of the County Sheriff and an
attached County Jailhouse complete with two floors of cells. Built in
1886, the Jailhouse was designed by E. V. Koch of Milwaukee. The 1886
Jailhouse, when compared to the 1857 Jailhouse, was a facility of
elegance. The sheriff and his family had quarters exceeding even some of
the classy homes of the time. A hot air furnace provided heat, water and
sewer piping was installed, and well-ventilated cellblocks greeted the
first prisoners.
The
1886 Jailhouse was used as a jail until 1962. In 1962, the Washington
County Historical Society moved their historical displays from the local
high school to the first floor of the Jailhouse. Within 30 years, the
Society had installed displays on all three floors and used the basement
and attic for storage. In 1992, the Society started the restoration of the
Old Courthouse and by 1997, the Society moved it's entire operation to the
Old Courthouse. From 1997 through 2001 the Old Jailhouse was strictly used
for storage of the museum collection. Restoration began in the Summer of
2001 and finished
by the Spring of 2002.
Although
Washington County Government maintained the building well over the last
century, current conditions made the building difficult to use as a
museum. New electrical, plumbing, lighting and HVAC system were needed in
order to maintain the structure as well as make it accessible for
visitors. In 1999, the Society began a capital campaign to raise funds for
the restoration of the Old Jailhouse, and by 2001 the money was raised
with the largest contribution from Washington County Government. The 2002
restoration of the Old Jailhouse cost nearly $400,000.
 The
Society is currently working on a book about the history of the building
as well as the sheriffs who lived in the Jailhouse. Anyone interested in
contributing information or photographs please contact the Society's
Curator of Collections and Exhibits.
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