Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

“The Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House is a historic government building near downtown Fremont, Ohio, United States. Built in the early 1890s, it was used as an incarceration facility for almost a century before closing and being converted into an office building.”
Wikipedia article Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House, CC BY-SA 4.0.

one of 9 National Register listings in Sandusky County · listed in 1997 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 622 Croghan St., Fremont, 43420
When was it listed? 1997-02-27
Category. building
Township. Fremont city
Architectural style. Queen Anne style architecture in the United States, Romanesque Revival architecture
National Register reference number. 97000198 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

15,834 words

The chapter on Fremont City in Historical Souvenir of the Fremont Flood, March 25-28, 1913, published 1913 names Fremont. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

Five hundred and fifty homes were flooded, fifty of them either totally destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. This created a problem to cope with for which there was no ready-made organization at hand. The way it was speedily met will stand for a long time as a significant testimony to some of Fremont's leading citizens as adequate leaders in time of need. To be caught in such a situation, unwarned and unprepared, is a real challenge to any man. More than one man has been well tried in this last month. This principle has been very manifest among the rank and file of the people. The readiness and willingness with which a man went about rehabilitating himself was a good sign of what he was worth. In all sections of the city the thrifty man was the first to find his shovel, and the last to ask or look for any help. It has been significant all through that those least willing to help themselves, were most willing to ask help of others. But I want to hasten to say that what has struck me all through my contact with the people in the inundated district, has been their undaunted courage. I think it has been really heroic the way some have faced the situation and recovered their home life.

Passage source: Historical Souvenir of the Fremont Flood, March 25-28, 1913, published 1913.

On Tuesday, March 25, 1913, Fremont faced a calamity. The entire city was without gas or water. Down its main business street, and through a large portion of its residential section rushed a current of furious swiftness; dozens of homes were being swept away; hundreds of people were homeless and hundreds more marooned in their homes surrounded by the angry waters were facing possible death.

Passage source: Historical Souvenir of the Fremont Flood, March 25-28, 1913, published 1913.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Fremont City - 15,834 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

9 since 2002

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 9 fires within 5 miles of Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House between 2002 and 2002, burning about 4 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Smoking	4
Recreation and ceremony	3
Arson/incendiarism	1
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
11 September 2002	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
21 July 2002	Smoking	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
20 July 2002	Smoking	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
9 June 2002	Smoking	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
29 June 2002	Smoking	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
16 June 2002	Recreation and ceremony	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
27 April 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
18 April 2002	Recreation and ceremony	2.0 acres	Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office	not named

Every fire recorded in Sandusky County

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 554 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 554 specimens collected within 10 miles of Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House between 1880 and 1975: 510 Animalia, 24 Plantae, 20 Fungi. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. D. Selby, Adams J. M. B., Adams J. M. R. and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Species	Year	Collected by	Where, as recorded
Adiantum pedatum L.	1880	Keeler, L.E.	Fremont.
Lepiota morganii (Peck) Sacc.	1896	Day	Fremont
Elimia semicarinata (Say, 1829)	1914	Anson A. Hinkley	Sandusky River, Fremont, North America
Anas americana J.F.Gmelin, 1789	1880	not recorded	Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Larus argentatus smithsonianus Coues, 1862	1881	not recorded	Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Carex frankii Kunth	1889	H. C. Beardslee	Green Spring.
Arisaema dracontium (L.) Schott	1890	H. C. Beardslee Sr.	Green Springs
Carex haleana Olney	1890	H. C. Beardslee Jr.	Green Spring
Carex hyalinolepis Steud.	1890	Collector unknown	Green Spring.
Sturnella magna magna (Linnaeus, 1758)	1890	Harry S. Day	Fremont
Calidris alba (Pallas, 1764)	1891	Henninger, W. F. (Walther Frederick)	Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Neotibicen canicularis (Harris, 1841)	1891	not recorded	Fremont

All 554 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House: 1 past producer, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Limestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Gottron Brothers Quarry	Limestone, General	Past Producer	Sedimentary
	Gottron Brothers Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer

Every working recorded in Sandusky County

Storms near this property

60 of 72 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Fremont, the town this property stands in, in 72 storm reports between 1995 and 2023: 52 thunderstorm wind, 17 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	1 hurt, $20,000	Structural damage occurred at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds in Fremont. Three buildings had metal siding damaged. One of these buildings had its large metal door blown-in and half of its roof torn off. A barricade was blown into a car and injured the driver.
November 2002	Tornado (F1)	Fremont	$1,300,000	A tornado touched down just northwest of Fremont near the intersection of Shade Road and Four Mile House Road. A house was heavily damaged and a motor home destroyed near this location. From the initial touchdown site, the tornado traveled northeast for around three and a half miles and then dissipated east of State Route 19 just to the south of the Ohio Turnpike. A second home was heavily damaged near Booktown Road at State Route 19. Elsewhere along the damage path, a few homes sustained minor damage and seven barns were leveled. One of the barns contained a collection of antique cars which were destroyed. Many trees and power poles were also downed along the damage path which was generally no more than 50 yards in width.
August 2023	Flash Flood	Fremont	$150,000	Reports of impassable roadway flooding in and just north of Fremont, including flowing water over County Road 73 between Oak Harbor Road and Fangboner Road. Community building in the northern portion of Fremont experienced up to 5 feet of water in the basement of the building. Radar estimated rainfall of 3.25 to 4 inches fell in a 3 to 4 hour period, much of which fell in an initial 45 to 60 minute period, when 1.5 to 2 inches of rain fell in the hour leading up to the flash flood event.
July 2013	Flash Flood	Fremont	$120,000	Torrential rain with fell on July 10th over mainly southern portions of Sandusky County with radar estimates around 3 inches fell in 1.5 hours. Widespread rapidly developing flooding occurred. Bellevue Police reported most of the town was flooded with several cars stuck in the water. State RT 105, U.S. 6 between U.S. 23 and State Rt. 53, Route 53 near the Ohio Turnpike, and State Rt. 19 near County Road 213 were closed from the flooding.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$100,000	A thunderstorm downburst with winds estimated at 70 mph caused considerable damage in Fremont. Dozens of trees were downed in the city. A few homes sustained roof damage from fallen trees.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$75,000	no account filed
May 2007	Hail	Fremont	$50,000	Penny to golf ball size hail was observed. Some vehicles sustained minor damage from the larger hail.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$50,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs in Fremont and one tree in Clyde. A barn was heavily damaged to the south of Fremont.
May 2010	Hail	Fremont	$40,000	Quarter to golf ball sized hail was reported. A few vehicles were damaged.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$35,000	Several power poles blown down across Highway 6. A tree was blown down on the roof of a house.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$30,000	Numerous trees, a few utility poles, and wires were reported down in the area. One tree fell onto a house, but the extent of the damage to the home was not known.
September 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$30,000	Thunderstorm winds destroyed a small barn and damaged a small building approximately 10 miles northeast of Fremont.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$30,000	Large limbs and power lines were downed. Trees and large branches were also downed approximately 15 miles northwest of Fremont in Woodville.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$25,000	Thunderstorm winds downed two utility poles.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$21,500	Numerous trees downed in Fremont. Four of these trees fell onto houses and one fell onto a car. A mesonet station in Fremont recorded a peak convective gust of 61 mph.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$20,000	A complex of thunderstorms tracked across the county producing widespread wind damage. Several reports of downed large trees and branches came in to the office. Crop damage was also reported during this event.
November 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$20,000	Numerous power poles were downed.
May 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$15,000	Thunderstorm winds snapped a power pole and downed some power poles.
November 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$15,000	Thunderstorm winds snapped a power pole.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$15,000	A few trees, large limbs and power lines were reported down.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$13,000	A tractor trailer was blown-over by strong convective wind gusts about 1.2 miles-WNW of downtown Fremont. Business' signs were also damaged in the area.
July 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$12,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees and large limbs.
November 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees across Sandusky County.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several trees.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several trees.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$10,000	One tree was blown down in Fremont with several large trees and powerlines downed just south of town.
August 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$10,000	Many trees were downed.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$8,000	Numerous large trees were reported down just south of Fremont.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$6,000	Several large tree limbs were reported down.
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$6,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few large tree limbs.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few large tree limbs across Sandusky County.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds knocked some canopies and large tents down at the county fairgrounds.
April 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds downed one tree and several large tree limbs.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees and large limbs.
April 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	A few large trees and power lines were knocked down on the east side of Fremont.
June 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$5,000	no account filed
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$3,000	A few large limbs were reported down.
November 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$3,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few large tree limbs.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$2,000	A tree was reported down across a street.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$2,000	A few large limbs were reported down.
June 2002	Hail	Fremont	$2,000	Dime size hail was observed.
July 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$2,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a tree along U.S. Highway 6 in Fremont.
August 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$2,000	Trees were downed in Sandusky Township.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a tree.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree branches.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree limb.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	$1,000	Several large limbs were reported down.
January 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	-	Tree downed at intersection of OH-19 and East Cole Road.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	-	Personal weather station recorded a peak wind gust of 73 mph from a passing thunderstorm about 1.75-miles WNW of downtown Fremont.
June 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	-	Trees down in Fremont. One of the trees fell onto several vehicles.
February 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	-	Thunderstorm winds were estimated at 60 mph.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	-	Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree limb.
July 2016	Hail	Fremont	-	Nickel sized hail was observed.
September 2015	Hail	Fremont	-	Penny size hail was observed.
September 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Fremont	-	Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree limb.
September 2015	Hail	Fremont	-	Penny sized hail was observed.
March 2012	Hail	Fremont	-	Penny sized hail was observed.
August 2011	Hail	Fremont	-	Quarter sized hail was observed.

Every storm recorded in Sandusky County

Newspapers printed here

0 digitised pages

5 papers published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 0 issues, 0 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

Newspaper	Published
Fremont Journal Extra	1861 to 1861
The Freeman	1849 to 1850
The Fremont Weekly Journal	1867 to 1877
Fremont Journal	1853 to 1866
Fremont Weekly Freeman	1850 to 1853

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

6,540 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

Statement of significance

A. SOCIAL HISTORY DX A Property is associated with events that have made C. ARCHITECTURE a significant contribution to the broad patterns of B Property is associated with the lives of persons LX C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack - D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Significant Person - B removed from its original location. - C a birthplace or grave. - D a cemetery. - E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. - F a commemorative property. Johnson, John Carlton: architect within the past 50 years.
Brockman, Theodore: contractor 9.

The whole case file for this property - 6,540 words, 49 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 97000198, 49 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

5 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
St. Paul's Episcopal Church	under 500 feet	1977
Fabing, Frederick, House	0.1 miles	1983
Buckland, Ralph P., House	0.2 miles	1974
Bartlett, Joseph and Rachel, House	1.3 miles	1990
Mull Covered Bridge	6.9 miles	1974

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 97000198 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Sandusky County	All 9 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.