Butte County Jail - Belle Fourche, SD - Victorian Style Architecture on Waymarking.com

County of jail: Butte County
Location of jail: behind Courthouse, 6th Ave., Belle Fourche
Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival
Built: 1902
Stonemason: John A. Scotney

" The Butte County Jail is a two-story, rectangular building. It is constructed of native red sandstone blocks cut by stonemason John A. Scotney. The sandstone was most likely quarried south of Belle Fourche. The stone shows Scotney's trademark of a rough rock base finish. Scotney also built the sandstone store building located on Sixth and State Streets in Belle Fourche, and his own home located at 830 9th Street. One of the most interesting aspects of the jail is the miniature knight located above the original entrance. It is unknown if it is an original part of the old jail or was added later. The jail is located directly east of the courthouse, and is separated by the parking area. A large deciduous tree in the front of the building is its primary landscaping. It was constructed in 1901-1902 and is therefore, a contributing building to the Butte County Courthouse complex.

"In March 1896, Butte County Commissioners awarded a contract to A. G. Challis, carpenter, to build a community jail on the corner across the street from the old white courthouse (corner of 6th and Grant Streets). The estimated cost was $375.00. Unfortunately, an exuberant celebrant at the Black Hills Soldiers and Sailors Reunion burned it down on June 24, 1897. The arrested one-legged man said he had started a fire in the jail to keep warm, as it was unusually cool for that time of year. After the burning site of the jail and the cage had cooled off, "the prisoner was locked in and given a day and night for meditation." Just three days later the Butte County Bank was robbed, a fiasco of great magnitude ensued and when some of the culprits were finally caught they had to be transported to the Deadwood jail.

"In April 1901, the Butte County Grand Jury recommended that a stone jail be built for the county and that it be at least thirty by thirty feet. The Commissioners instructed the County Auditor to secure estimates for construction and fitting of cells. It seems that when anyone was arrested the officer who was responsible for the prisoner would also either send them to another county for safekeeping or maintain sufficient guards at the present "coop" that goes by the name of a jail. The sheriff at that time was keeping the prisoners in his home due to the lack of an adequate facility.

"The Count Jail's architecture is unusual in its Romanesque Revival design highlighted by the rough-edged red sandstone that is found locally." ~ NRHP Nomintaion Form