Old Macoupin County Jail
Old Macoupin County Jail205 E. 1st St.
Carlinville, Illinois 62626
Old Macoupin County Jail
Schedule a group stop at the Old Macoupin County Jail. The historic jail was in service from 1869 to 1988. This Gothic Revival stone structure was built using the "cannonball method." Stones were hollowed out and leftover Civil War cannonballs were embedded into the stones used to build the walls, making an escape by removing stones nearly impossible. The jail was built to hold 17 prisoners, but at some times, it was reported to house twice that number. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction, though admittance to the interior is no longer allowed due to structural issues.