A local preservation group seeks to convert the old Canadian County Jail in El Reno, Oklahoma, into a museum and education center by 2026, which is Route 66’s centennial.
According to KOCO-TV in nearby Oklahoma City, the Preservation El Reno group’s Jail Restoration Committee wants to restore the 1907 building.
The group began leasing the old jail in October after county commissioners agreed the organization could organize private fundraisers to renovate it.
The jail was designed by noted architect Solomon Layton in 1905. He designed 52 buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places. That includes the Oklahoma Capitol.
The jail, designed in an Italian Renaissance Revival style, was placed on the National Register in 1985. According to the National Register nomination form, it was built for about $18,000.
It was replaced by a new jail in 1985.
The jail also contains a stable at the rear of the property built a few years later.
The old Canadian County Jail is at 300 N. Evans St. in El Reno, about three blocks north of Route 66 and one block west of U.S. 81.
Those who wish to make donations toward the jail’s preservation have several options.
First, you can make a check to Preservation El Reno and mail it to P.O. Box 592, El Reno, OK 73036.
Preservation El Reno also has a Venmo account at @Preservation-ElReno. Payments can be made through PayPal at paypal.me/preservationelreno.
Finally, the organization has a GoFundMe.com campaign, with a goal of $250,000.
(Image of the old Canadian County Jail in El Reno, Oklahoma, via Exploring Oklahoma History)