Old Stone Jail Open House
Please join us as we go to jail at the Old Stone Jail with our Open House located at the end of 10th Street, next to the Wayne County Courthouse on Saturday, September 3, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. each day.
Wayne County's Old Stone Jail's solid metal doors are unlocked to allow visitors an opportunity to tour one of the county's most interesting historic buildings. Built-in 1859, this squat stone edifice housed Wayne County's miscreants until 1935. Constructed almost entirely of rough stone, its damp, gloomy interior has been compared to a dungeon. On tour days, volunteers are on hand to usher visitors into the 9 x 12-foot cells as they relate the history of the jail and some of its more notorious occupants. Jailbreaks, hangings, and even the birth of a baby girl happened within its somber walls. During the jail's early history, men, women, and even children endured the dismal accommodations.
Our volunteers will tell you all true, well-researched tales taken from local newspaper accounts.
Stand inside the Sheriff's office where James McCabe and other notorious Wayne County criminals once stood or step inside the jail cell with an original cell door riveted together over 156 years ago.