The old Delaware County jail will be coming down this week.

The demolition is part of a larger project that will include a two-story zero-entry addition to the east side of the courthouse. The Delaware County Treasurer’s Office and Auditor’s Office will move to the new addition – with the goal to improve accessibility to their offices, as well as provide appropriate storage space for the county’s voting equipment.

Delaware County Supervisor Shirley Helmrichs:

The project will create thirty additional parking spaces on the south side of the courthouse where the former jail and jailer’s house currently sits. The old jail has sat empty since the new Delaware County Jail was built a few years ago.

The historic house on the southwest corner of the block, built in the late 1800s, is also coming down this week. Helmrichs says it’s served several purposes over the years – from a home for the jailers and their families to being a place for Sheriff’s deputies to diffuse after calls.

With the new addition being built on the east side of the courthouse, the gazebo on the east lawn will need to be relocated.

Helmrichs says the entire project, including the demo and new addition, will cost between five to six million dollars, with funding set aside to pay for the project. She says the funds are a combination of ARPA funds, budgeted dollars for election equipment storage and county building funds.

Demolition of the former jail and jailer’s house is expected to begin this week, with crews currently working on removing items inside (such as solid doors) before taking the buildings down. The construction process will get started next year.

Helmrichs says after years of trying to find a solution for more space, it’s exciting to see the process finally unfold.

The new Delaware County courthouse addition should be ready for use by early 2027. 

rendering courtesy of Delaware County; photos courtesy of Janelle Tucker/KMCH