Kelseyville Jail Restoration
Built in 1896 by Del Reeder and Will Kelsay, the two-cell jail was located behind the Kelseyville courthouse. In 1900, it became a branch of the Lake County Jail System and was used as a holding cell for the City of Lakeport. Following its lifetime of use, it was moved to the County Fairgrounds for preservation, then back to Kelseyville, where it remained until being moved to the Ely Museum. Donations and volunteer labor have been used to restore it to its original condition. All original hardware (bars, hinges, etc.) were hand wrought by blacksmiths in the late 1800's.
The Kelseyville Jail arrives at the Ely Museum on a trailer missing it's lower 4 feet.
Jail is jacked up on trailer even with the top of the foundation.
Large well pipes are placed under the jail to allow sliding the structure onto the base.
The pipes must be slick enough to facilitate the slide. Snuggle fabric softener worked great as a lubricant.
Once on the base, smaller pipes were used to roll the structure into final position.
Ready for final setting.
Finishing the set.
Restored and re-shingled jail front.
Restored jail's west facade.