Area less than one acre Built by David Sterner Opened 1870 Added to NRHP 27 August 1981 | Built 1870 NRHP Reference # 81000270 Architectural style Italianate architecture | |
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Location Broadway and State Sts., Toledo, Iowa | ||
The former Tama County Jail, now known as the Tama County Historical Museum, is located in Toledo, Iowa, United States. Tama County was established in 1853, but it did not establish a jail. It sent its inmates to neighboring counties. The present courthouse was completed in 1865, and discussions turned toward providing a jail. The county Board of Supervisors decided in January 1869 to proceed with plans, and in June 1870 they contracted with Toledo builder David Stoner to design and build the new building. It was completed by the end of the year. The sheriff and his family lived on the second floor and acted as the jailers. A two-story addition was built onto the rear of the building in the late 19th century to provide more space. By the 1960s the building increasingly became inadequate, and it was condemned by a grand jury. It closed in 1970, and the county once again started to farm out its inmates to neighboring counties. The county Historical Society leases the building and uses it as a museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.