Old jails and sheriffs’ residences are intriguing. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the bug until I’d already traveled to all of Indiana’s historic courthouses! Some are close enough to easily take pictures of, though, like the Old Blackford County Jail in Hartford City. It looks deceptively domestic from the street, but it’s a building that tells a complicated story about punishment, family life, and the slow march of reform in a small Indiana county.
Officials ordered a log jail to serve Blackford County as early as 1845. For some reason, the order was annulled, so the first jail was never built1. The present structure at 120 East Main Street in Hartford City was erected in 1879 for $11,000. As was typical for the era, the sheriff’s work and home life were inseparable.
He and his family lived on site at the jail, and his wife’s responsibilities extended far beyond their own household- she also prepared daily meals for the prisoners2. Connected to the rear of the Italianate sheriff’s residence, the jail itself was a stark counterpoint to the decorative home out front. Inside were six cramped, seven-by-seven granite cells reserved for male inmates.
Two additional cells were originally set aside for women, but those were later converted into office space, which forced female prisoners to be sent to neighboring counties3. Below it all lurked a basement dungeon reserved for the most troublesome inmates when emergencies demanded harsher confinement4.
Unfortunately, time was not kind to the working building. By 1974, it was home to a host of problems and had been condemned several times by the state department of corrections. The jail had last been painted in 1960. Defective wiring had been replaced in 1970, but inmates still shocked themselves on open switches. The leaky roof was repaired in 1973. The kitchen was unsanitary, and the jail lacked exercise facilities5. The place was a mess!
The jail’s final resident sheriff was Howard McCollum, who served from 1971 until he died in office in 1977. In a grim twist, longtime deputy Ed Townsend was appointed to succeed him only to pass away just four days later6. Despite that sudden upheaval, the jail pressed on: the following year it underwent a major remodel that replaced the steel doors, along with updated plumbing, fixtures, and water lines, dragging the aging facility into a new era7.
Ultimately, the old Blackford County Jail housed prisoners for 116 years. In 1994, final approval was given to convert the old Jackson Township Elementary School on State Road 26 into a new jail for $3.4 million8. The old jail -one of three in Indiana that retained its rotating cast iron turnstile doors- was offered to the Blackford County Historical Society. Unfortunately, the group declined to relocate9.
Instead, the jail was purchased by a private party. Today, it’s one of several structures stewarded by Save The Old Properties, LLC10., a firm that also owns the former Randolph County Infirmary; Liberty High School in Ohio City, Ohio; and the General Ashael Stone Mansion in Winchester. Today, the building can be booked for tours and paranormal investigations.
Sources Cited
1 Shinn, B.G. (1900). Biographical Memoirs of Blackford County, Ind. The Bowen Publishing Company [Chicago]. Book.
2 Routledge, R. (2008, January 6). Home sweet jail. The Muncie Star Press. p. 27.
3 (See footnote 2).
4 (See footnote 2).
5 Bales, G. (1974, December 1). Blackford Jail Controversy Continues. The Muncie Star. p. 45.
6 Ed Townsend, new Blackford sheriff, dies (1977, M arch 11). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 18.
7 Witt, L. (1978, March 17). Remodeling of Blackford County Jail Is Started. The Muncie Star. p. 10.
8 Brown, D. (1994, March 8). It’s a ‘go’ for Blackford County jail. The Muncie Star. p. 10.
9 Walker, B. (2000, April 17). Former jail was a real steal. The Muncie Star Press. p. 7.7
10 Parcel 005-50003-00 (2025). Office of the Assessor. Blackford County [Hartford City]. Web. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
