Scott County Jail (Iowa)
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Scott County Jail
| nrhp_type = indcp
| nocat = yes
| partof = Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District
| partof_refnum = 100005546
| image = Scott Co jail davenport iowa.jpg
| caption = 1897 jail in 2012
| location = 428 Ripley St.
Davenport, Iowa
| coordinates = {{coord|41|31|28|N|90|34|45|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Iowa#USA
| built = 1897
| builder = Larkin
| architect = Frederick G. Clausen
| architecture = Italianate
| added = July 07, 1983
| area = {{convert|1|acre}}
| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64000149|title=Davenport MRA}}
| refnum = 83002502{{NRISref|2009a}}
}}
The Scott County Jail is the main detention facility for Scott County, Iowa, United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/sheriff/jail.php|title=Scott County Jail|publisher=Scott County, Iowa|accessdate=2010-10-24}} Inmates are housed for no more than one year, by Iowa law. It is located in the county seat, Davenport, and is part of same facility as the Scott County Courthouse.
History
File:Scott County, Iowa Jail 2007.JPG
The oldest section of the jail was completed in 1897, but its opening was delayed until its metal jail cells were completed the following year.{{cite web|url=https://www.downtowndavenport.com/pdf/FOR_SHPO_DavenportCommercialHD_Nov_18_revised_2019.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District|publisher=Downtown Davenport, Iowa|accessdate=2020-09-25|author=Jennifer Irsfeld James}} It was designed by prominent Davenport architect Frederick G. Clausen in the Italianate style.{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=83002502}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Scott County Jail|publisher=National Park Service|accessdate=2016-03-20|author1=Martha Bowers|author2=Marlys Svendsen-Roesler}} with {{NRHP url|id=83002502|photos=y|title=photo}} The style, which was popular in the late Victorian Era can be found in the limestone's rusticated finish on the lower stories and then rising to a smooth finish at the attic level. Other elements include the smaller scale, round-arched windows across the third-floor, the wide eaves and the tower on the building's north side. A tunnel connected the jail to the courthouse that faced West Fourth Street. The main entrance was moved from West Fifth Street to Ripley Street when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad tracks were elevated in 1903. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.
An annex was added to the jail in 1983 to alleviate crowding.{{cite web|url=http://www.davenportlibrary.com/files/9113/2510/1989/426_Ripley_Street.pdf|title=Scott County Jail |publisher=Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs - State Historical Society of Iowa|author=Davenport Public Library|author-link=Davenport Public Library|accessdate=2010-10-24}} It was built between the jail and the courthouse, and connected the two buildings. The jail became too small again, and in 1999 the inmate capacity was capped at 214.{{cite news|title=All of Scott County's inmates now at downtown jail|work=Quad City Times|location=Davenport|author=Kurt Allemeier|url=http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_2b276b25-34fa-5f04-bd2e-fade71457f1b.html|date=December 11, 2008|accessdate=2010-10-24}} In 2004 a bond referendum was passed by county voters to expand the size of the jail. The $29.7 million expansion was opened in 2007.{{cite news|url=http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_84e24232-0286-11e0-a54b-001cc4c03286.html|title=Scott County opens new jail to the public|work=Quad-City Times|location=Davenport|date=November 16, 2007|accessdate=2011-02-10|author=Kurt Allemeier}} A new entrance pavilion that provides security screening to the entire complex was added at the same time.{{cite news|url= http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_8c901043-4934-5a3e-ad0b-ecb6257eca43.html|title=Scott County Courthouse security to tighten when new entrance opens|work=Quad-City Times|location=Davenport|date=October 23, 2007|accessdate=2011-02-10|author=Kurt Allemeier}} An annex that was opened on the north side of Davenport to house inmates was closed when the main jail was enlarged.
The 2007 addition is a four-story structure, and faces south on West Fourth Street in Downtown Davenport. The {{convert|75000|sqft|m2|lk=in|adj=on}}{{cite news|url=http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_9f9c172a-ffe3-53d6-9273-04e0b0f25bd6.html|title=Jail grand opening scheduled for Nov. 16|work=Quad-City Times|location=Davenport|date=October 17, 2007|accessdate=2016-03-20|author=Kurt Allemeier}} jail has a capacity of 354 inmates.{{cite news|title=Assault on guard spurs inspections at jail|work=Quad City Times|location=Davenport|author=Kurt Allemeier|url=http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_f9c6cb06-af2d-11df-92db-001cc4c002e0.html|date=August 24, 2010|accessdate=2016-03-20}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Davenport}}
{{Historic Davenport structures}}
Category:Government buildings completed in 1897
Category:Government buildings completed in 2007
Category:Italianate architecture in Iowa
Category:Buildings and structures in Davenport, Iowa
Category:Jails on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Davenport, Iowa