Posted May 21, 200718 yr State funds for Pike County jail are not there Chillicothe Gazette, 5/8/07 The Pike County commissioners and Sheriff Larry Travis may disagree on whether to go ahead with building a new jail, but there's one thing they do agree on - the need for funding to consider it. The Pike County Jail, which was built in 1861, closed in August 2005. It was the oldest operating jail in Ohio. Since then, the sheriff's office has transported its inmates to the Ross County Jail. Travis, who writes grants for the office, said he's been trying to get funding for a new facility since he became sheriff. "In 2000, I submitted a grant but was denied," he said, adding that the 2006 General Assembly failed to appropriate any money for jail construction. "The funding has to be for corrections. We're in a different boat than a lot of agencies (that write for grants)." When the bill for funding was going before the assembly, he and the commissioners wrote letters of support for its passage, he said.
November 4, 200717 yr Waverly is a gritty little town just south of Chillicothe. The Pike County Courthouse has fallen into severe disrepair while the county has opened up a one-stop center in an old big-box store north of downtown. There isn't much activity downtown today, but the 1861 Emmitt House hotel and resturant has been restored and makes it look like someone is trying.
November 4, 200717 yr Again you show us a small town off the beaten track! Waverly is indeed gritty, and it is a shame that the courthouse is such a mess. It isn't an architectural showpiece, but with some paint and a bit of maintenance it could be the centerpiece of the small downtown. The thing I find so amazing with all the county seats in Ohio is the abundance of 3 story brick Italianate buildings with storefronts on ground level. Some have been bastardized to the point of hilarity, but many are in pretty good original shape. Although Waverly looks a bit forlorn, it isn't too bad. We used to go there about once a year to visit friends nearby. Downtown looks pretty much the way I remember it from 35 years ago! Your county seat series is really great. Some of the courthouses are amazing, while others like this in Waverly really make you scratch your head. Why so much pride in some, and total abandonment of others?
November 4, 200717 yr Waverly is an odd ball. Downtown has some true gems, like the Emmitt House (been there as long as I can remember). But the set of buildings across from US 23 is always depressing: I remember when US 23 through town was a complete mess, pre-reconstruction. Blackened, rutted asphalt. Wire signal spans. Deteriorated sidewalks and no handicap-accessible points. They completely reconstructed it a few years ago and it is really quite beautiful, compared to the past. Did you note the old Detroit Toledo and Ironton railroad alignment? If you went south of downtown across the bridge and noted the park on the western side, you can see an elevated grade. There was an overhead trestle at one point, if you can believe it, at this location!
November 5, 200717 yr What, no shot of the abandoned K-Mart that replaced the courthouse? I've noticed lots of other buildings in Southern Ohio that have the wooden stairwells on the outside of old brick buildings like the one Seicer highlighted. A Portsmouth trick!
November 5, 200717 yr Yay Waverly! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
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