Washington County Jail

The Washington County Jail is a log, one-room jail previously used in Oregon. It was built in 1853 and was used until 1870. In 1986, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and is preserved by the Washington County Museum in Washington County, Oregon, United States and is exhibited outside of the museum near its entrance. In 2008, the building was de-listed from the NRHP.HistoryIn 1853, the first Washington County Jail opened. It was built at Fourth and Washington Streets in Hillsboro, Oregon by William Brown for a cost of $900. During its use, two people died while confined to the jail, and a baby was born after it ceased being used as a jail. One of those dying in the jail was former Hudson's Bay Company employee William Burris who killed his family in 1855 in a drunken rage. However, despite rumors, American Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant was not jailed here while he was posted to Oregon before the Civil War.In 1870, the building was sold to the Cave family. They lived in it briefly while their house was built, and then used the structure as an outbuilding. In 1953 the structure was moved to the Washington County Fairgrounds where it remained until 2003. Beginning in 2003, the building was restored at a cost of $75,000 and relocated from the county fairgrounds to the Washington County Museum.