Photo / Courtesy Ellsworth Historical Society
The Ellsworth Historical Society completed the repair of exterior brickwork on the 1886 structure.
August 20, 2024
Exterior rehab completed on Old Hancock County Sheriff's Home and Jail
Photo / Courtesy Ellsworth Historical Society
The building's dual function as a sheriff’s family home attached to jail cell blocks is preserved in its original state, making it a rare artifact of U.S. law enforcement history.
A project to preserve the Old Hancock County Sheriff’s Home and Jail in Ellsworth as a museum and cultural heritage center has reached a milestone with the completion of exterior renovations.
The Ellsworth Historical Society has finished repairing all the outside brickwork on the 1886 structure.
Hascall & Hall, a masonry firm in Portland, rebuilt the crumbling exterior using original materials and repointed the structure with appropriately colored mortar. The work began in mid-March and finished up earlier this month.
“The rehabilitation of the brick exterior is more than just a repair; it signals a renewal of the building’s historic role in the community,” said Jennifer Sala, the society’s president.
The structure fell into disrepair over the course of decades, with bricks crumbling from the eaves and with gaps in the masonry allowing in rain and snow.
Since 2007, the Old Jail has been included on Maine Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places List.
In 2022, the Ellsworth Historical Society began a 20-month grant writing campaign to fund the exterior repair.
Financing included a $200,000 grant from the National Park Service’s REvitalizeME Gen-2 program, along with Maine Community Foundation donor-advised funds, the Belvedere Historic Preservation and Energy Efficiency Grant Program, the 1772 Foundation, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Ramassoc Chapter and the Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust, according to a news release.
The project manager was Carla Haskell of Design Group Collaborative Architects, who is also an Ellsworth Historical Society board member.
The before-and-after transformation is dramatic. Where plastic sheeting and netting once held back falling bricks, all four walls now look as they did 138 years ago.
At home in jail
The Old Jail served as Hancock County’s law enforcement center and the sheriff’s family residence from 1886 to 1976. Since 1979, the building has continuously operated as an Ellsworth Historical Society museum, preserving the intertwined stories of the sheriffs, their families and the county’s legal history in 19th and 20th century Ellsworth.
The building's dual function as a sheriff’s family home attached to jail cell blocks is preserved in its original state, making it a rare artifact of U.S. law enforcement history, according to a news release.
The building has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 2008 for its significance not only as a governmental building connected to Hancock County — but also as an example of a building designed specifically to serve both as a residence and jail.
The building, at 40 State St., is located a half block north of the Main Street business and shopping district.
The interior of the house is largely intact from the time of construction with many original details remaining. The history of the building includes the families that lived in the home and the individuals who were incarcerated in the jail block.
Rooms at the back of the residence have "wicket" openings, coverable by heavy metal fixtures, through which the jailer could monitor and communicate with the prisoners.
Future phases include roof repairs plus updating the interior for artifacts and exhibits.
“Located at the southern entry to the federally-designated Downeast Maine National Heritage Area, the Old Jail is set to draw visitors from across the region, ensuring that its stories will be shared and remembered for generations to come,” said Sala.
Local and regional community supporters of the project included Heart of Ellsworth, Ellsworth Public Library, Friends in Action, Green Ellsworth, the city of Ellsworth, Ellsworth Historic Preservation Commission, Sunrise County Economic Council, Maine Preservation, Hancock County Planning Commission, Cultural Alliance of Maine, Sen. Nicole Grohoski and Rep. Mark Worth.
Earlier this year, the society was also awarded $500,000 in congressionally directed spending from the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development budget for the project.
Goals for the project are to convey countywide history and cultural heritage and to promote tourism.
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