Commissioners allow events in 1921 Graham jail

Young County Commissioners voted to allow the 1921 jail in Graham to be used as a meeting and event location managed by the county historical commission, which recently obtained a state historical designation for the building.

The commissioners voted 4-1 to allow the Young County Historical Commission [YCHC]to schedule meetings on the first floor of the three-story jail as long as a commissioner member is present. Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Wiley voted against the plan, noting that the 101-year-old building does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and that such events may present a premises liability problem for the county.

Susan Smith, historical commission co-director, said the YCHC has received a number of requests from outside organizations to meet at the old jail. The YCHC recently advertised that it would open the old jail to visitors on Saturdays. Two members of the infamous Santa Claus bank robber gang were taken into custody at the Graham jail in 1927, and the jail saw several inmates escape from its cells before it was converted to a women’s shelter in the 1980s.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Stacey Rogers voted to allow the historical commission to “rent it out for oneday meetings, on a limited basis” after he was satisfied that the county could not be held liable “if something did happen.”

“[Premises liability coverage] is part of the regular Young County insurance policy,” he said. Mr. Rogers also suggested that the commission could ask for donations rather than charge a fee for renting the building. “If they are going to have to be present, they should be compensated,” he said. “We are not just going to turn it over and say, ‘Have your meeting.’” Mr. Wiley said he objected to the Historical Commission’s expanding use of the building beyond the quarterly meetings it planned. “It is not ADA compliant over there … and there is too much liability to have it rented out to people. There is no way we can control anybody from going upstairs. Who is to say they can’t get up the stairs and then fall down the stairs?” he said. He also said soliciting donations from groups in lieu of payment is illegal. “It is against the law for them to solicit money,” he said.