Old Wilkes County Jail
Wilkesboro, North Carolina
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Old Wilkes County Jail is a historic jail located at the Wilkes Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, NC. It was built in 1858, and is a two-story, rectangular brick building with a low hipped roof. It was an active prison until 1915.
The jail has its fair share of famous inmates. One such inmate is Tom Dula who was the subject of the folk-song “Hang down your head, Tom Dooley…” During the Civil War, the jail was used to hold Union prisoners and stored Confederate provisions and ammunition. Today, the jail retains much of its original hardware including strap hinges and several early locks. All cells have the original wood, iron doors, and iron bars still bolted to the windows. |
1 Investigation at this location:
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