The Hempstead County Jail, today referred to as the Old Jail, has a rich history. Originally constructed in 1873 as a single-story brick building, it has seen many changes over the years. In 1918, the jail was completely rebuilt and featured a 2-story brick structure at the front with a 2-story reinforced concrete structure at the back, and the entire exterior was covered with stucco to give the building a uniform appearance. In 1939, when the county seat moved from Washington to Hope, the jail closed and was sold and converted to apartments shortly afterwards. In the early 1980’s the jail was purchased and renovated into a bed and breakfast and was purchased by Arkansas State Parks in 2014.

The project provided a unique opportunity for Arkansas State Parks to provide guest lodging onsite at the Historic Washington State Park. WER led a two-phase renovation of the project. Phase one consisted mainly of interior restorations, while phase two finished the exterior restoration and site improvements.

Renovating the outdated facility involved extensive reconstruction of the first-floor wood framing as well as a complete renovation of the rooms and bathrooms, the service kitchen, and dining room. The dining room was originally the concrete jail cell, is the centerpiece of the renovated facility showcasing a single concrete column with the names and markings of the old jail’s previous “guests” from decades past. The historic component has been enclosed in glass to protect it while also putting it on display.

The building received all new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems as well as an integrated fire protection system. The building and site were made ADA accessible, and a new exterior egress stair from the second floor was added to make the building code-compliant.