
For more information on the Old Hale County Jail please contact:
Ashley Dumas: 205.652.3830, adumas@uwa.edu
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![]() Located behind the neoclassical, historic Hale County Courthouse, the Old Hale County Jail served Hale County from its completion in 1908 until 1999, when it was replaced by the modern Hale County Corrections facility. The masonry building is distinct with its 24 large windows inset with iron bars, and its crenelated battlements. The jail was constructed during a period of socially conscious prison reform. During the nineteenth century, large convict labor camps were commonplace, but around the turn of the twentieth century prison farms and county and city jails began taking their place. The jail is three stories with offices on the first floor and holding cells on the second and third. The second and third floors were each divided into two separate cells. The jail could hold up to 71 inmates, but on average held 42. The jail is owned by the Hale County Commission and sits vacant. The primary threat is vacancy and decay, leaving the building to the possibility of demolition. The building is under the purview of the probate judge in Hale County, Arthur Crawford, Jr., a sponsor of the PIP nomination. There are several structural issues that need to be addressed, including a damaged roof. A thorough Historic Structures Report would help to identify key weaknesses in the building’s structural elements and consider rehabilitation plans. The building is listed as a contributing building in the Greensboro National Register district. Two private individuals, including Judge Crawford, as well as the Greensboro Area Business and Tourism Association are sponsoring the nomination. This group has the necessary decision-making power and organization to capitalize on the publicity provided by the listing and possibly other opportunities that come from listing.
For more information on the Old Hale County Jail please contact: Ashley Dumas: 205.652.3830, adumas@uwa.edu
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Alabama's Endangered Historic LandmarksEach year since 1994, Alabama Heritage has highlighted threatened historic sites throughout Alabama. The “Places in Peril” list has identified more than 215 imperiled historic resources throughout the state, and is compiled by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. The locations highlight the results of deferred maintenance, perceived obsolescence, development pressures, and lack of funding—forces that now more than ever threaten our cultural legacy. But awareness is a powerful force, too, and can cultivate a renewed determination to be responsible stewards of our heritage. For more information, visit the AHC or the ATHP websites. Alabama Heritage is proud to bring to you a selection of the places designated as perilous. Please keep your comments to information relevant to the featured place in peril. Alabama Heritage reserves the right to delete any comment that we deem inappropriate. Archives
May 2023
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Alabama Heritage
Box 870342 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Local (205) 348-7467 Toll-Free (877) 925-2323 Alabama.Heritage@ua.edu |