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| Old Ford jail on endangered list |
| By news-gazette.com |
| Published: 04/07/2011 |
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PAXTON IL - When Jim Peters visited Paxton's courthouse square -- which once housed the state's oldest operating jail -- he saw a "really unique structure" that might be fit for a future Hollywood production. "It's just a cool structure," Peters said about the 1871 Italianate-style brick sheriff's residence and the stone jail attached to it. "It's one of those buildings that when I first saw it, I was like, 'Hey, if Hollywood only knew about this place, there would be a movie there.'" Peters, the president and chief executive officer of Landmarks Illinois, said the uniqueness of the facility made it an easy choice for inclusion on the nonprofit historic preservation group's annual list of the state's "Ten Most Endangered Historic Places," announced Wednesday. The facility's questionable fate also was considered. The Ford County Board has been discussing the possible demolition of the vacant, county-owned building as a way to create space on the courthouse square to build a new building to expand cramped courthouse offices. Local historic preservationists Susan Satterlee and Rosemary Kaye have urged the county to save the building. They said Wednesday they hope the "endangered" status brings more attention to the building's historical significance. "We hope they'll look at other options," said Satterlee. "Demolition may happen anyway, but we hope they board will at least look at other options first." Peters said his organization hopes for similar results. "This structure is believed to be the oldest of its kind in Illinois," said Peters. "We hope that either a public or private use can be found for this vacant historic property." Peters said the building, last used as a jail in 1993, has an old design that "really complements the courthouse" next to it. He said it would be a shame for it to be torn down and replaced by a new structure. Kaye and Satterlee submitted the application that led to the building's inclusion. Now that they have accomplished their first goal, the two Paxton women are seeking community input on options for the county board to consider for using the facility. That will be the focus of a public meeting that has been set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Federated Church in Paxton. "We're hoping for a lot of good ideas," Kaye said. Meanwhile, Satterlee is also working to apply to have the old jail included on the National Register of Historic Places, which she said she hopes will help ensure it is not torn down. Royce Baier, president of the nonprofit Paxton Foundation, has pitched the idea of renting or even buying the old jail from the county. Options for the building's use include a museum or even a bed-and-breakfast. But Ford County Board Chairman Rick Bowen said Wednesday that the board is waiting to further discuss options for the building until it can determine whether it will need more space on the courthouse square for office expansions. To solve its facility needs, the board had looked at using the old jail and sheriff's residence as space for probation department offices, but it has since determined renovating the old building might not be worth the cost or even be feasible for the county's needs. Read More. |
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