Linn County Jail and Sheriff's Residence - Linneus, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 39° 52.776 W 093° 11.346
15S E 483830 N 4414411
Building was closed for renovations during my visit...
Waymark Code: WM1272V
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 03/17/2020
Views: 0
County of jail: Linn County
Location of jail: 102 N. Main St.,
Linneus
Built: 1871
Architect: Charles A. Fore
Architectural Style: Greek Revival
WPA Project: 1937
" ... The two-story building is
constructed of concrete, brick and wood, and has a one-story brick addition with basement, built as a
WPA project in 1937, on the north elevation. For one hundred years, it served as a home and center of
justice until it was converted to a museum in the 1970's
"The historic sheriff's residence and jail in Linneus is a two-story I house measuring, without
the 1937 addition, 42'8" x 17'6" with the main entrance facing west. The 1937 addition measures 41'3" x
19'5"and is attached to the northeast side of the 1871 house. The jail is a one-story rectangular structure
attached to the east side of the sheriff's house, measuring 31 '8" x 17'3". The floor of the jail is four feet
below the main floor of the house, requiring a set of stairs to enter. The house and jail were built of
orange brick, and the 1937 addition is red brick. Both were laid in a stretcher pattern.
"The 1937 addition is a rectangular shaped one-story red brick structure with a full basement. It was a
Works Progress Administration project. A wooden porch measuring 16'5" x 8'3" is attached to the east
side of the kitchen (the east facade). The addition was built on the east side of the 1871 parlor (north
room) and there is a doorway from there. The east façade of the addition has two windows and there is
an entrance from the porch. The north facade has four windows of various sizes, two double hung and
two paired double hung. There is an entrance on the north facade into the dining room with three steps up
to it. The original house covers all the west façade of the addition but four feet. Most of the south facade
is covered by the jail, but there is one small double hung window high on the exposed wall.
"The addition has a front-gabled roof of medium pitch and a hipped roof with coursed asphalt shingles and
a chimney projecting from the east side of the roof. The basement can only be accessed from an outside
bulkhead on the south side. The basement houses the steam heat system and was also the location for
the pressurized water system added as part of the WPA project. There is a concrete water cistern located
under the back porch, which was the primary source of water after 1937. The roof of the jail captured
enough water for the jail's requirements except during extremely dry summers.
"To the northeast of the 1937 addition is the garage, which was also part of the WPA improvements. The
garage is one-story cubic red tile structure built to house one car. It measures 20'5" x 12'. The entrance,
a wooden accordion door, is on the west side of the building. There is one small square window on each
of the south, east, and north facades. It has a gabled roof with coursed asphalt shingles." ~ NRHP Nomination Form