HistoricSiteMarkers
Early RepublicCivil War

Trimble County Jail

Bedford, Trimble County, Kentucky

Marker Inscription

Trimble County Jail. Old stone jail erected ca. 1850 on site of original jail; second story added in 1899. For some 133 years, until 1983, this building was a physical symbol of law and order in Trimble County. Its most noted prisoner, ardent abolitionist Delia Webster, was incarcerated here briefly during 1854. The jail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Erected by Kentucky Historical Society

The Story

Erected around 1850 on the site of an earlier lockup and given a second story in 1899, this Bedford stone jail stood as a symbol of law and order for some 133 years, until 1983. Its most famous prisoner was ardent abolitionist Delia Webster, briefly held here in 1854 for her antislavery activity. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Why it matters

The jail preserves the memory of Delia Webster and the risks abolitionists ran in a slaveholding border state before the Civil War.

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Related people

  • · Delia Webster

Themes & tags

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