Special photo A truck rolls onto the property of Heritage Park in McDonough to move an old jail into place. As of way of preserving Henry County's history, the jail was added to other historical structures at Heritage Village on August 25.
By Valerie Baldowski
An old jail from the 1800s, donated by McDonough resident, Charles Deberry, has been moved to Heritage Village, which is located inside Heritage Park in McDonough.
Deberry said he donated the building because he was concerned about deterioration. "The county will take care of it better than I can. I've been here 30-something years," he said. "I've seen it going down some over the years," said Deberry. The county has personnel who are able to properly maintain the old jail, he added.
"The structure is located to the left of the blacksmith shop, on the hill across from the 'Kidsville' playground, next to the Nolan House," noted Julie Hoover-Ernst, Henry County communications director. "It is 12-feet-by-16-feet, and is comprised of two jail cells."
It joins nine other historic buildings, structures or artifacts in Heritage Village: the Barn Museum, the Settler's Cabin, the Ola Schoolhouse, the Corn Crib, the 1934 Steam Locomotive, Lane's Store, the Detached Cookhouse, Henry County's First Library, and the Raised Roof Cottage.
Hoover-Ernst said the old jail is considerably different from today's version of a modern jail. "The structure looked more like a shack, if not for the two small windows with bars. [It] could hold only two prisoners," she said. "It stood on the McDonough Square until the mid-1800s, when it was replaced by a larger jail facility."
The structure has its own history, from when it was built in the 19th Century, said Henry County Sheriff's Lt. Jack Oakman. "The building itself was identified as the Henry County calaboose, because it wasn't what you call [a] full jail. It's a shed," Oakman said.
The old jail is an important link to the county's past, he continued, and the law enforcement community is pleased to have it on display. It was moved into the park Aug. 25.
"It's a piece of history that could certainly have disappeared. We're thrilled," added Oakman.
