The two-story limestone and brick jail was built in 1819. It replaced Claiborne County's first jail, a crude structure built on the same site in 1804. The 1819 jail was used until 1931.[2]
It was listed on the National Register in 2007.[1]
The county's current jail facility is located in New Tazewell. It typically holds between 160 and 180 inmates.[3]