wood county jail

  In the late 1880's, with the increasing population of the county, the Wood County Commissioners realized that the jail currently in use was inadequate. Thus, they appointed a committee to establish specifications for a new place of confinement. In July 1883, the committee's findings were released. They proposed a building 26 feet 6 inches wide by 57 feet 9 inches long. There would be a total of five cells; four to house male prisoners and one for female prisoners. As proposed, each men's cell would have wrought iron bars measuring two inches in width and three fourths of an inch thick. The men's cells would be 8 feet by 12 feet with boiler plate floors. The women's cell was to be 8 feet by 18 feet and made completely of wood.
  The Commission chose a young architect from Philadelphia, P.A. by the name of Carl B. Zilenziger to design the building. Mr. Zelenziger, the son of Prussian immigrants, immediately began designing the three-story stone and brick building. Capt.. W.A. McCosh was hired to supervise the stone work. The jail took nearly three years to complete and was opened to house prisoners in 1889.
  In 1973 and 1974, the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority began promoting a plan for a new "Central City Project" . This project included replacing the Wood County Courthouse and the jail by providing new modern county-owned buildings on the same sites. Replacement of the buildings was suggested because the estimate renovation costs for the two buildings was one million dollars. It was noted that the third floor of the jail had previously been condemed. As many Wood County residents will recall, after much public input, it was decided that the Courthouse would be renovated. However, a new building was constructed on Second Street to house inmates, opening in 1975 as the Wood County Holding Facility. There was some interest by local individuals to initiate a study aimed at preserving the old jail, but letters sent by the head of the local Urban Renewal Authority to representitives in Washington, D.C, and Charleston, prevented the study from being performed. Ultimately the desires of the Urban Renewal Authority prevailed, and the fate of the old jail was sealed.
  In July 1977, preparations were underway to strip the jail of anything salvageable. The kitchne appliances went to the local National Guard. The bunks and other fixtures inside were deemed worthless. The third floor iron fire escape and the cell bars had value as scrap metal. The County had no plans for saving any of the brick or stone. For the sake of posterity, local individuals were allowed to salvage some of the stone and brick. A contact for demolition of the 85+ year-old building was let to Mountain State Demolition Inc. for $9,480. Demolition began September 1, 1977 and took several weeks to complete.
  The area was developed for a new Municipal Building Complex for the City of Parkersburg.