The Old Blackford County Jail was built in 1879. The jail was in use until 1995. The building was purchased by twins Richard and Dann Allen in 1996 with hopes of preserving Blackford County's history one building at a time! Within these walls still remain the original jail cells, along with one of very few original turnstiles remaining in Indiana (a door/gate to prevent access to people leaving as someone is entering)! Since purchasing the OLD JAIL, multiple layers of paint have been removed from the original staircase leading to the sheriff living quarters, revealing gorgeous woodwork from when the structure was originally built! Attic space that had once been bricked off/drywalled over has been discovered, along with possible windows that may have been a view from the living quarters' stairway to the jail area! As time passes, our team will continue to research the history of both the building and those that deemed this iconic structure their home or their correctional facility! We encourage those that may have any documentation about the OLD BLACKFORD COUNTY JAIL, EMPLOYEES, and INMATES to share it with us, as our goal is to preserve history, every memory, and picture at a time!!!

The old Blackford County Jail was established in 1879. The prison was an active prison until the end of 1995.

Hartford City, Indiana, began in the late 1830s as a few log cabins clustered near a creek. The community became the county seat of Blackford County. This small farming community experienced a 15-year boom beginning in the late 1880s caused by the discovery of natural gas.

In the early 19th century, much of what would become the state of Indiana was still frequented by native Indian tribes. At least three tribes are almost certain to have visited the future Hartford City area during the 40 years before the town was settled, although there were no known permanent settlements in the immediate area.

Many stories linger to this day about Dillinger actually staying at the prison.

Connect to the page below for more historical information for this location, including some newspaper articles.