To spot the Benton County Jail, look straight ahead for a two-story brick building with white limestone corners, barred windows, and a front entrance flanked by classic Ionic columns.
Now, take a deep breath and picture yourself back in 1911. The streets are quieter, the air carries a whiff of fresh sawdust from wagons rolling by, and a brand new building rises before you, designed by the famed A. O. Clark-though, honestly, even the best architects need to practice on something smaller before tackling grand cathedrals, right? Today, you’re gazing at one of his rare, more modest masterpieces, built strong enough to hold the town’s most infamous outlaws, with thick brick walls and imposing limestone corners that practically shout, “No monkey business here!” Just imagine: from behind those barred windows came stories of mischief, mistakes, and maybe the odd poker game to pass the hours. The entrance, topped by a stately gabled pediment and flanked by those proud Ionic columns, looks more like a courthouse than a jail-maybe to give some prisoners a little false hope! In 1988, this building earned a new kind of fame, joining the National Register of Historic Places, forever keeping its secrets behind those bars as Bentonville grew up and out around it.
