Newport Jail
Newport, Kentucky
1798-1884
*************
*******************
****************
************
The following was written by Ken Paul April 3, 1991
The building of a 26X30 foot stone jail on the Public Square (the land bounded
by Court Place and Fourth Street and York and Columbia Streets) deeded to them
by James Taylor, the elder. The walls were to be three feet thick and two
stories high. Each story was to be nine feet. The building was finished at
the discretion of the commissioners, who were authorized to call on the
sheriff occasionally for the balance of 350 pounds ($626.50).
On Sep 11, 1797 court sheriff ordered a "Pillery Whipping Post" and stocks for
the county. On Feb 12, 1798, court was held at the house of William Aderson.
The sheriff paid Abraham Vastine and Thomas Reddeck 3.18 pounds (45.71) for
stocks and pillory built and furnished.
Thomas Kennedy, Richard Southgate and William Reddeck "supervised the erection
of a jail to be built on the public square with round longs, 16 feet square.
On April 9, 1798 at the court house, William Reddeck, Richard Southgate and
Jacob Fowler were appointed commissioners to survey 10 acres of land to
comprise prison bounds.
In September 1798 Benjamin Griffiths was appointed story keeper of the stray
pen-our first animal shelter. On Oct 8, 1798, it was ordered that the jail
be repaired as follows: "another set of heavy logs to be laid across the upper
floor also loose planks laid over the lower floor, a partition of plank to be
put up across the room with a common door to be chuck'd and cramm'd, a stock
lock to be put on the inner door, the house to be pinned at each corner and
iron bar and good lock to be furnished for the out door, the present roof to
be completed."
Once occupied the resplendent court house became the center of the city's
political and economical life. During the late 1800s a new county jail
(complete with rock breaking shed) was completed on the rear of the Courthouse
Square. By 1809 the public square contained a stone jail and log courthouse;
there was a pen of some sort to hold stray animals and perhaps the pillory and
whipping post were still there though the author never found a record that
there were ever used.
In August 1809,
Jonathan Huling
Sr. jailor and caretaker, was permitted to turn
the yard into a pasture and he enclosed the square with a good locust post and
rail fence with two gates. By February 1817 the court felt the need of a new
brick jail. It was to be 36 feet by 18 feet and two stories high. The jail
was completed by Oct 1, 1841, the clerk's office by Nov 1, 1841 and the
courthouse by April 1, 1842. Frank Spilman was appointed jailor Sep 27, 1842
to call on the committee leader Sam Winston of the public buildings in
Newport, for all the bedding and irons and belonging to the courthouse and the
old jail for the jail in Alexandria.
Spilman was paid $10 for making and hanging window shutters in December of
1845. The buildings were completed with some changes and accepted by the
county court on May 26, 1845.
The old log jail was sold at a public sale.
**********
Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Tuesday, 6 November 1866, page 1
In 1840 the county seat of Campbell county was removed from Newport to Alexandria and since that time the public square and all the buildings therein have been under the exclusive control of the city authorities. All the new buildings have been erected and all the old ones have been repaired by the city, the county bearing no part of the expense.
Since February 27, 1856, when courts were by an act of the Legislature, allowed to be held in Newport, the city jailer, ex-officio, has attended upon the courts and received into his jail, in addition to city prisoners, all prisoners committed by or for these courts, and his fees for service endorsed by the Commonwealth's Attorneys and allowed by all the Judges, have been paid by the Treasurer of the State without being questioned in any quarter.
**************
Jailer Assistant Edward Harvey-1915
Jailer Jonathan Horsfall Jr. 1860
Jailer Assistant Edward Mader-1919
Jailer Deputy James Taylor-1918