Kelseyville Jail Restoration
Join Us for the Grand Unveiling of the Kelseyville Jail
You’re invited to the April 21st BBQ and Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the newly restored 1896 Kelseyville Jail.
The Lake County Historical Society has completed restoration of the Kelseyville Jail and will be presenting it as a public display at the Ely Stage Stop Museum on April 21st, beginning at 12 noon. Local members of the 1st responders community are invited to the event as a show of appreciation for their service to our community.
Restoration of the Kelseyville Jail involved removing the bottom 4 feet of the structure that had rotted. The hardware is all the original hand-wrought iron. Its first occupant was Jeff Miller, who got drunk and disturbed the peace in Kelseyville. Imagine spending a few days in this place during the hot Summer months with only a small barred opening on the side.
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.