The historic county jail is a beautiful Italianate Romanesque-style building with Tuscan Gothic details. The old jail was built in 1854 by Hamilton architects Clark and Murray.

A library was also erected for the prisoners in 1856, consisting of 227 donated books.

The Oxford County Jail (or Gaol) holds many stories within its walls. There have been five hangings. The first was Thomas Cook, a blind man who killed his wife. His death mask was carved in stone in 1862 to the right of the front entrance door.

The infamous Burchall, who posed as “Lord Somerset,” fooled the whole town and killed his apprentice farmer; it was the most high-profile murder case in Victorian Canada.

Photo: Balcer, Public Domain