Rockford in Coosa County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Coosa County / Old Rock Jail

Coosa County Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 2, 2019

1. Coosa County Marker

Inscription.
Coosa County Named for the river on its western border, Coosa County was created by the Alabama Legislature on December 18, 1832, from land ceded by the Creek Nation in the Treaty of Cusseta. The name is taken from the Native American word "kusha." believed to mean "canebrake." The Creeks lived in great numbers in the region in the generations before Alabama achieved statehood.

The first commissioners selected a site along the south bank of Hatchemadega Creek to serve as the county seat and named it Lexington. In 1835, the seat moved to its present location at Rockford.

Old Rock Jail Coosa County commissioners authorized the construction of a new jail in August 1839. It was built with local stone and completed in 1842 at a cost of $2,745. Improvements were ordered in 1857, including new ironwork.

In operation for over nine decades, the jail closed in 1938. The Coosa County Historical Preservation Authority opened a museum in the facility in 1973. The building remains largely unchanged from its original construction. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest stone jail in Alabama.

Placed in honor of the Reverend James Thomas Fielding Family.

Erected 2016 by Alabama

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Historical Association.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Political Subdivisions. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association series list. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1839.

Location. 32° 53.398′ N, 86° 13.224′ W. Marker is in Rockford, Alabama, in Coosa County. Marker is at the intersection of Alabama Route 22 and Jackson Street, on the right when traveling west on State Route 22. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rockford AL 35136, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Peace & Goodwill Cemetery (approx. 7.3 miles away); Socopatoy (approx. 10.9 miles away).

Regarding Coosa County / Old Rock Jail. The $2,745 cost of the jail construction in 1842 is equivalent in purchasing power to $84,618.31 in 2019, a difference of $81,873.31 over 177 years.

Also see . . . Encyclopedia of Alabama article on Coosa County. (Submitted on April 2, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Old Rock Jail Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 2, 2019

2. Old Rock Jail Marker

Coosa County / Old Rock Jail Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 2, 2019

3. Coosa County / Old Rock Jail Marker

The Old Rock Jail image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 2, 2019

4. The Old Rock Jail

Stone at jail - Built under Federal Emergency Administration Project No. Ala 1410-F image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 2, 2019

5. Stone at jail - Built under Federal Emergency Administration Project No. Ala 1410-F

Originally called the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, it was renamed the Public Works Administration in 1935 and shut down in 1944. The PWA spent over $7 billion in contracts to private construction firms that did the actual work.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on April 2, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 384 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 2, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.