Fifteen years after opening as a museum, the 1902 jail suffered a major setback when the heavy snows of the 1978- 79 winter collapsed the roof of the building, forcing temporary museum relocation itoa house on Greene Street while repairs were made. This 1981 picture shows the new roof on what appears to be a neglected building. The facing porch on the southwest side had been destroyed in an unfortunate collision with a motor vehicle.
The construction in 1902 of a state-of -the-art jail in Silverton was a great source of local pride, much of it based on the fact that no outside funds were needed to be raised to construct the structure.
The request for bids on the building specified two story brick structure 32 x 38 plus a basement which would contain the heating plant. The first floor was to be devoted to livin...
