The La Porte County Sheriff's Department was established in 1832 under the direction of its first Sheriff, Benjamin McCarty. During his term, the first jail was contracted to be built in 1833 for $460. It was a log building measuring 22' x 16' and was located on what is now the courthouse plaza. The succeeding jail was a plank building built in 1841 or 1842 in the same location. In 1857, the next jail, a brick structure, was erected next to Shafer's Laundry. It was razed to make way for a heating and lighting plant. It had been vacant for seven years due to construction of the fourth jail in 1907. The jail was built of Bedford stone in approximately the same location where the old Foster and DeGarmo livery barn stood. In 1977, an eight million dollar modern facility, the LaPorte County Annex and Security Center Complex, was completed. Along with several other county agencies, it was the new location for the La Porte County Jail and Sheriff's Department. On January 18th, 2002, the construction of a new five story addition to the Security Complex began. The project allowed expansion from a 135 bed jail to 350 beds. The building site is in the location of the old Schafer's Laundry building, which was razed to make way for the expansion. Looks best zoomed full size. Thanks for looking & commenting. Previous Photo: ----------- * RangeRiderRichard's Photo Albums: Architecture | Atmosphere & Mood | Landscapes | Critters | Flowers & Plants | Miscellaneous | Food | Artwork | Poetry | Holidays | People