The La Porte County Historical Society is pleased to announce its newest acquisition – the jail door from the Michigan City Superior Courthouse. The jail cell at the courthouse was a holding cell where prisoners on trial were held before and after their daily trial proceedings. The Michigan City Superior Courthouse is located at 300 Washington Street in Michigan City, and was built in 1909.La Porte County Commissioner Richard Mrozinski was instrumental in acquiring the door on behalf of the Museum. The jail door was in an area of the courthouse that is currently undergoing renovation. The physical transfer of the door was accomplished by Marquiss Electric, Inc. of Michigan City. Marquiss Electric is owned by Andy Skwiat.The Michigan City Superior Courthouse jail door joins a jail door from the La Porte County jail at the Museum, and both are intriguing complements to the police and fire department exhibits. Both doors are similar in design, and, so, are likely from the same time period – the late 1800s to the early 1900s.The Michigan City Superior Courthouse jail door consists of two doors, the barred door and a steel door with one peep hole that, when shut, closed off the interior of the cell to sound and light outside the cell.The La Porte County Jail door is from the third county jail, built in 1857, a brick structure erected on State Street in La Porte next to Shafer’s Laundry (razed to make way for the County Complex). The third county jail was razed after the construction of the fourth jail in 1907. Our current La Porte County Jail is the fifth jail.The La Porte County Historical Society Museum is located at 2405 Indiana Avenue in La Porte, and is currently open reduced hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Masks are required of all visitors. Please contact the Museum at 219-324-6767 of info@laportecountyhistory.org with any ques
