From May 11, 1975, until March 12, 2020, the museum was located in the old Porter County Jail and sheriffs residence, located at 153 Franklin Street Valparaiso, Indiana, across the street from its current home. The jail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1] The museum was founded in 1916 by the Porter County Historical Society (now the PoCo Muse Foundation), the PoCo Muse is the oldest institution devoted to the history and culture of Porter County, Indiana.
Artifacts were displayed in the lower level of the Valparaiso Public Library from 1916 until 1937, on the top floor of the Porter County Courthouse from 1938 until 1973, and inside the 1871 Porter County Jail and Sheriff's Residence from 1975 until 2020. Currently The PoCo Muse is located across from two of its previous homes at 20 Indiana Avenue in downtown Valparaiso.[2]
Gallery
Cornerstone
Front door to Sheriff's House
Window Styling
Main stairway
Rosette of front entrance
Jail with square & round towers
Prisoner cell
Bibliography
"Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana", Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor and Charles Blanchard, Biographical Ed.; F.A. Battey & Co. 1883; Chapter, "History of Porter County", pg 23
"History of Porter County", Volume I, Then Lewis Publishing Co; Chicago-New York; 1912, pp.58–59.
Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso. The county is part of Northwest Indiana, as well as the Chicago metropolitan area. Porter County is the site of much of the Indiana Dunes, an area of ecological significance. The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes documents the region's ecological significance.
Valparaiso, colloquially Valpo, is a city and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 34,151 at the 2020 census.
The Near South Side is a community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States, just south of the downtown central business district, the Loop. The Near South Side's boundaries are as follows: North—Roosevelt Road ; South—26th Street; West—Chicago River between Roosevelt and 18th Street, Clark Street between 18th Street and Cermak Road, Federal between Cermak Road and the Stevenson Expressway just south of 25th Street, and Clark Street again between the Stevenson and 26th Street; and East—Lake Michigan.
Northwest Indiana, nicknamed The Region after the Calumet Region, comprises Lake, Porter, LaPorte, and Newton counties in Indiana. This region neighbors Lake Michigan and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. According to the 2020 Census, Northwest Indiana has a population of 831,080 and is the state's second largest urban area after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. It is also the home of the Indiana Dunes, parts of which have been preserved through conservation efforts. The town of Ogden Dunes houses the Hour Glass, a museum showcasing the ecological and conservation efforts of O. D. Frank.
The Perry County Jail, also known as the Perry County Jail Museum, is a history museum and historic jail in Pinckneyville, Illinois. Built in 1871, the jail was the second county jail used by Perry County. The county's first jail was built in 1833-34 and was demolished to make room for the new jail; it was a two-story brick building measuring 14 by 16 feet on the interior, and it cost $750 to build. The legislature passed two separate private laws to enable Perry County to obtain funds for the second jail's construction: one in 1865 to permit a tax levy, and the other in 1867 to permit the issuance of bonds. Although the county quickly solicited architects' plans upon being permitted to issue bonds, four years passed before they announced their choice of the design created by Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford. The contractor was chosen in May, a superintendent named in July, and the building deemed complete in December.
The Valparaiso Moraine is a recessional moraine that forms an immense U around the southern Lake Michigan basin in North America. It is a band of hilly terrain composed of glacial till and sand. The Valparaiso Moraine defines part of the continental divide known as the Saint Lawrence River Divide, bounding the Great Lakes Basin. It begins near the border of Wisconsin and Illinois and extends south through Lake, McHenry, Cook, DuPage and Will counties in Illinois, and then turns southeast, going through northwestern Indiana. From this point, the moraine curves northeast through Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties of Indiana into Michigan. It continues into Michigan as far as Montcalm County.
The Kankakee Outwash Plain is a flat plain interspersed with sand dunes in the Kankakee River valley in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois of the United States. It is just south of the Valparaiso Moraine and was formed during the Wisconsin Glaciation. As the glacier stopped at the Valparaiso Moraine, its meltwater was carried away to the outwash plain. On the south side of the moraine, where the elevation drops, the meltwaters eroded away valleys, carrying sand and mud with them. As the muddy meltwater reached the valley where the slope lessened, the water slowed, depositing the sand on the outwash plain. This created a smooth, flat, and sandy plain. Before its draining, the Kankakee Marsh, located on the outwash plain, was one of the largest freshwater marshes in the United States.
The congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, Indiana, was founded in 1862 by 69 German families. The church building was erected in 1891 by Henry Lemster and his son, Charles. A fire gutted the building in 1975, marks of which can still be seen on the altar and pews. The Immanuel Lutheran congregation moved to a new site on Glendale Boulevard, while 60 members formed a new congregation named Heritage Lutheran Church and restored the historic building.
The Loring Residence and Clinic was the first facility built to provide medical services to Valparaiso, Indiana. The residence has continued to provide for public service through its current use by the Valparaiso Woman's Club. Dr. Loring used his home as his medical office until his death in 1914. It was Loring's initial efforts that brought medical care to the county and provided for the first hospital. Although private, it became the county's first public hospital when Loring sold the building in 1906 to build his home and clinic.
The Porter County Memorial Hall, also known as Memorial Opera House, is an historic Grand Army of the Republic memorial hall located in Valparaiso, Indiana. It was the meeting place of Chaplain Brown GAR Post No. 106, one of 592 GAR posts in Indiana. Designed in 1892 by a local architect, Charles F. Lembke., using Romanesque styling, it was built in 1892–3 to seat 100 people. It was also used as the local opera house.
Porter County Courthouse is in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. The current building replaced the brick building in 1883. The current building is 128 feet by 98 feet. It was built with a square tower rising out of the center. The tower was 168 feet tall with a clock on each side. Built of Indiana limestone from Ellettsville, it cost $125,909. During construction there were several problems with the building stone. It was eventually finished at an additional $10,000 cost.
The Swedish American Farmsteads of Porter County, Indiana are representative of the numerous rural communities settled by a significant ethnic population. They influenced the religious community and social community. This collection is the most complete early 20th century complex within the Swedish cultural landscape of Baileytown and has retained a great deal of integrity.
Prairie Avenue is a north–south street on the South Side of Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South Side to the city's southern limits and beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins as a major trail for horseback riders and carriages. During the last three decades of the 19th century, a six-block section of the street served as the residence of many of Chicago's elite families and an additional four-block section was also known for grand homes. The upper six-block section includes part of the historic Prairie Avenue District, which was declared a Chicago Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Valparaiso has retained an active downtown. It remains a mix of government, retail and business center, with a mixed residential and service area. Numerous economic changes have not changed the basic character, historic courthouse area. The historic district retains the distinctive turn-of-the-19th-century architecture, supporting numerous small specialty shops, shaded sidewalks, and a people friendly environment. The Downtown District, is anchored on the Porter County Courthouse. It includes 14-blocks surrounding the square, bounded on the north by Jefferson Street, on the east by Morgan Street, on the south by Monroe Street, and on the west by Napoleon Street.
Tassinong is an unincorporated rural community in Porter County, Indiana, south of the city of Valparaiso. The community includes an historic marker claiming it to be a French mission and trading post in 1673, which would make it the oldest European settlement in Indiana as well as in neighboring Illinois.
The William B. McCallum House, built in 1887, is an Italianate Style house in Valparaiso, Indiana contains many of the basic elements of Italianate design, including brick masonry, deep eves, thick cornice features of wood and protruding flattened arch brick window lintels and a two-story bay window.
Charles F. Lembke was an American architect and contractor who was prominent in Valparaiso, Indiana. Lembke built many downtown Valparaiso-area buildings, such as the Memorial Opera House, Carnegie public Library, Hotel Lembke, and several local schools.
The Italianate House at 608 Academy Street, Valparaiso, Indiana was constructed by Conrad and Catherine Bloch in about 1873. The double-pile brick house has a commanding presence on a double lot at the corner of Park and Academy Streets. A brick woodhouse dates to about the same period as the house. The garage dates from about 1940. The house was converted to the Valparaiso Hospital and Sanitarium by Dr. Harvey Cook in about 1923. It has been converted back to a single family home.
Hendricks County Jail and Sheriff's Residence, also known as Hendricks County Museum, is a historic home and jail located at Danville, Hendricks County, Indiana. It was built in 1866–1867, and is a two-story, Second Empire style brick building with a three-story square tower. It has a slate mansard roof and segmental arched openings. It consists of the former Sheriff's residence in front and a one-story rear wing with later additions containing the jail. The building has housed the Hendricks County Museum since 1974.
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