Public Faces and Private Spaces: The Monticello Old Jail Museum

The 1841 Legislative Council of Florida determined “that the peace and security of the country demand that a good and sufficient jail should be built in each of the judicial districts.”  The second jail built in Monticello – the seat of government in one of the state’s oldest counties – was established as a public service building in the center of town.  Its purpose was to ensure its citizens were safe and miscreants received justice.  The county sheriff – one of the most powerful and influential people in town – not only directed the jail but also lived on the premises with his (or her) family.  Throughout his term, a single iron door was the only physical barrier between the sheriff’s public career and private life.  Decades after the old jail officially closed its doors, community leaders are working to repurpose the building to serve the public as a museum.  Public Faces and Private Spacesis a photographic exhibit surrounding the history of the old county jail and potential for its future.