Built in 1876 and in use until 1945 by the oldest sheriff’s office in the nation, this granite block and brick structure retains its original upstairs cells where prisoners were once segregated by gender and race. The jail keeper’s quarters downstairs house-related artifacts. The site also features the Leonardtown Visitor Center and a museum store.
African-American Heritage
A National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. The Old Jail was built in 1876 and was in use through 1945. Runaway slaves were often held in public jails until their owners retrieved them or they were sold in compensation for the cost of care. Five stories of runaway slaves are connected with this jail. Today the building is a museum and hosts the Leonardtown Visitor Center and a museum store.