Cedar County Sheriff's House and Jail

The Cedar County Sheriff's House and Jail operated from 1892 until 2001, making it likely the last combined residence and jail facility in the state. The site consists of the sheriff's residence, the jail building and exercise area, a shed and a garage. The house was built in 1855 and the jail building was erected in 1892. While there are many other jail/residence correctional facilities in Iowa, which were known as "mom and pop" jails, this one is unusual in that it was established by adding a jail to an existing house, rather than building both at the same time. It is a now museum operated by the Cedar County Friends of Historic Preservation. It is open on the first Saturday of every month.

In 1840, the same year that Tipton was named the county seat, the first jail was built. It was a log structure that also served as a courthouse. A new two-story, wood-frame building was constructed in 1857 and operated as a jail and a poorhouse. Apparently it had many problems and underwent a complete renovation in 1876. Exactly who built the house is unclear but it seems to have been a local businessman.

The county purchased the property in June 1892 and built the jail in November. The sheriff (or the sheriff's deputy) lived in the residence with his family and was responsible for operating the jail. His wife was in charge of cooking meals for the prisoners. The first female to run the jail, Joann Hubble, was hired in 1977. She lived in the house with her husband, Charles, and their children. In the mid-1990s, the facility was deemed to no longer meet the state's minimum standards. However, it was allowed to continue to operate while the county planned and built a new modern facility, which was completed in 2001. The old jail officially closed on April 13th, the day the prisoners were transferred to the new jail. The Cedar County Friends of Historic Preservation acquired the property in 2002.

Clark, Krista. "Cedar County Sheriff's House and Jail Museum." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. September 13, 2003. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/6c014a3a-1c15-42cc-8fc0-91df17cebfb1.

"Old Cedar County Jail-History." Old Cedar County Jail. Accessed September 24, 2021. https://www.oldcedarcountyjail.com/history.html.