In the modern era, it is quite simple for a police officer in York County to transport a prisoner to Central Booking or to the York County Prison. However, in the early years of law enforcement, traveling from the outlying towns to York with a prisoner was a full day trip by horse, or a long trip by train.

For this reason, many towns had local jails or lock-ups. Some of these jails were located in municipal buildings, such as the basement of a fire station or town hall. In other cases, a small, simple building was constructed to serve as the lock-up.

The Police Heritage Museum is attempting to document these local jail facilities, including both existing lock-up facilities and those that have been lost to time.

Brogue

In 1758, a John Finley opened a tavern in Chanceford Township at the intersection of roads leading to Delta, York, Muddy Creek Forks and Lucky. This area later became know as Brogue or "the Brogue."

In the 1760, a shooting at the Brogue Tavern resulted in the death of one man. The Brogue Tavern or Brogue Hotel would be a community gathering place for nearly 200 years.

It has been noted that the basement of the building has six rooms, including what appears to be a lockup.

The Police Heritage Museum is continuing to research this lockup.

Delta

This early 1900s photograph shows the jail, the small building just to the right of bottom center, across from the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad's turntable.

The Delta jail was located along the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad's tracks in the borough of Delta in southeastern York County. The Delta Town Council awarded a contract to A. M. Clarke, Esq. with the work to be completed by July 1885. It was built at a cost of $250.

The Delta lock-up was constructed of Peach Bottom slate, a durable slate that was mined in the Delta area. The thick stone walls were a suitable deterrent to any prisoner thinking of escaping.

The inside of the lock-up consisted of two separate cells, and a small vestibule where a woodstove provided heat in the colder months. A single barred transom window provided the only natural light inside the building, and a small vent at the peak of the roof provided the only ventilation for the cells.

Local lore has it that Mr. Clarke, the builder of the jail, was also its first unwilling occupant, and its first escapee.

The Delta lock-up is now privately owned.

Dover

The Dover jail was constructed in 1904 from cut red sandstone, a rock indigenous to the Dover area. A louvered cupola at the peak of the roof would have provided ventilation for the cells. The lock-up has three windows, two in the left side wall and one in the rear wall opposite the door.

The lock-up was originally located at the intersection of City Hall Drive and Herrold Drive, two small alleys about a block north of the Dover square.

The Dover jail was relocated from its original location to the Dover Community Park on West Canal Road in Dover Township.

The inside of the lock-up currently has none of the cells that were once in the building. It is presumed that the cells would have been located on the side of the building opposite the door and windows. The number of cells that were in the building is not currently known.

The Dover lock-up is now publicly owned.

Fawn Grove

One of the first lockups identified by the Police Heritage Museum staff was this wood frame lockup in Fawn Grove

It is not known where the building originally stood, but the building was located on a residential lot and being used as a storage building. The building had suffered damage from a fire.

We hope to acquire additional information on this building.

New Freedom

The New Freedom jail was located along the tracks of the Northern Central Railway in southern York County, next to South Front Street behind the J.D. Bailey building, as seen in this postcard image.

The building was constructed of brick, and had one window with iron bars and a solid door. A chimney was located at the rear of the roof, indicating a wood stove was most likely located in the cell.

Red Lion

The following information on the lock-up is found in the 1930 Red Lion souvenir history book:

"It took Council from 1881, to October 1886, to decide on the location of a lock-up, and then the building of same was left to Chief Burgess, E. E. Roser."

The building is still in existence, and is privately owned. We are pursuing additional information.

Seven Valleys

The Seven Valleys jail was located near the Northern Central Railroad's tracks in the borough of Seven Valleys along Cherry Street.

The Seven Valleys jail consisted of two cells, and a common area with a wood stove. The building was also used as the borough office into the 1980s.

The building still stands near the current U.S. Post Office in Seven Valleys, and is privately owned.

Shrewsbury

Another of the lock-ups currently being researched is the Shrewsbury jail.

The Shrewsbury jail was near the intersection of Main Street and Clearview Avenue, near the first public school building.

We are currently seeking additional information about this building.

Spring Grove

In 1908, the Borough of Spring Grove purchased land on the west side of Water Street and erected a lockup. The borough built two frame jails which were promptly burned down.

In 1922, a brick building with two cells, ground floor and a stove was constructed.

According to local residents, the brick lockup was torn down years ago.

Yoe

At the June 4, 1894 meeting of the Yoe Borough Council, a motion was passed for the Ways and Means Committee see to the building of a lockup, and that Council select a site without delay.

At the June 22, 1894 meeting, a resolution was passed to purchase "18 feet of land at a dollar a foot front on Water Street to erect said building on" with the building to be twelve feet long by ten feet wide by eight feet high, "the building to have two windows well protected and have two rooms or departments, have a door in the partition, have a double door outside" with a shingle roof, weatherboarded and painted.

At the August 6, 1894 meeting the Ways and Means Committee reported that lumber for the lockup was purchsed for $55, stone at 50 cents per pound delivered, and that the committee found land at 80 cents per foot front, purchasing 20 foot of land for $2 less than the land previously selected. The location of this land was not noted.

At the October 1, 1894 meeting, the President of the Borough Council reported that he had made one iron door for the lockup as requested, and asked the members to come and inspect the door before constructing the second one.

At the November 5, 1894 meeting, the Council approved the purchase of a stove to heat the lockup. In addition, the Ways and Means Committee reported on the sale of lumber left over from the construction of the lockup, that the lockup is to be painted for $1.25, and the following expenses for the construction of the lockup were recorded: blacksmithing and iron doors, $10.33; carpenter work and hauling lumber, $11.50.

Anyone with any additional information on these or any other York County lock-ups are encouraged to contact us.