Lower Lake Stone Jail, in

Lower Lake, California Lower Lake (formerly Grantville) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the southern Clear Lake region of Lake County, in northern California. Lower Lake is also an Indian rancheria of the Koi Nation people. Geography Lower Lake is located 4.5 ...

, is a

one-room jail In the United States, a one-room jail is a type of jail with only one room, or cell. One-room jail ;Examples * Buhler Jail: Red brick building in Buhler, Kansas. * Clifton Cliff Jail: Stone building constructed in Clifton, Arizona, located at th ...

claimed to be the smallest jail in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, was erected in 1876 of stone locally quarried and reinforced with iron. During the days of the first quicksilver operations of the

Sulphur Bank Mine The Sulphur Bank Mine is located near Clearlake Oaks and Clear Lake in Lake County, California. The mine became one of the most noted mercury producers in the world. During the 150 years since the Sulphur Bank was discovered, the area has dra ...

, lasting from 1873 to 1883, rapid town growth and the urgent need for civil order necessitated the building of a jail. Stephen Nicolai, one of the first stonemasons in Lower Lake, built the jail from local materials with the help of Theodore and John Copsey. The tiny jail is now defunct, and has been designated

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

#429.

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External links

Pictures of Lower Lake Stone Jail
1876 establishments in California California Historical Landmarks Buildings and structures in Lake County, California Defunct prisons in California Jails in California Lower Lake, California {{Prison-stub