Prisoners were brought into the rotary jail through the main entrance to the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office and home. The jail, which was basically a kit that was assembled on site, required only one officer to supervise the cell block and therefore saved the county money.

By Rod King
Guest Columnist

Crawfordsville has a rotary jail. No, it’s not a place for delinquent Rotary Club members. It actually housed prisoners from 1882 to 1973 and has the distinction of never allowing an escape.

It’s unique to say the least. It was the first of only 18 constructed by Haugh Ketchum Company of Indianapolis and is the only one still operable. The jail, which was basically a kit, was hauled in and assembled on site. It is a two-story, 32-ton steel structure built within the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office with eight pie-shaped cells on each level around a single shaft that can be turned by a hand crank. When turning, the cells rotate to a single opening where a prisoner can enter or leave.

Prisoners were marched right through the main house where the sheriff and his family lived and into the rotating jail. The sheriff’s wife was in charge of providing meals for the prisoners. Most of the prisoners were there for being drunk and disorderly; the average stay was generally just a day or two. The longest was a year.

Large steel post supports the two-level rotary jail. Prisoners sometimes suffered broken arms when trapped as the jail was being rotated to the main entrance door. Unfortunately, the officer could not see all he cells from his post at the crank.

With the county hurting for funds in the early 1800s, it was determined this particular design could not only hold prisoners securely, but save money. The savings came from only having to employ one jailer to watch the entire cell block.

In the early 1930s, investigators for the Indiana State Board of Charities noted the natural light and ventilation were poor and the cells were unsanitary. In addition, the jail had a habit of trapping prisoner’s limbs when turning, causing numerous broken arms because the jailer operating the crank could not see all the cells. Some modifications were made to satisfy the changing codes over the next few decades.

The structure was finally condemned and ordered closed in 1967, with final closure happening in 1973. The rotary jail served Montgomery County for 91 years.

The jail and sheriff’s office/living quarters were converted into a museum in 1975 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places the same year. Two executions were carried out behind the jail in 1885 and 1886, respectively. Both men were convicted of murder and were hanged.

For information about hours of operation and admission fees, check out the website at rotaryjailmuseum.org or call (765) 362-5222.

U.S. 231 runs right into Crawfordsville and turns into Washington Street. The destination, the Rotary Jail Museum, is located on the west side of the street at 125 N. Washington St.