Kent County Jail’s Current Home on Ball Avenue
For decades, drivers heading down I-196 through Grand Rapids have passed the massive, rounded structure at 703 Ball Avenue NE—the current Kent County Jail.
It’s hard to miss from the highway: a hulking facility with a distinct curved layout, it’s been the county’s main jail since the 1950s.
But before that? The jail was somewhere else entirely.
The Original Kent County Jail Was Downtown Grand Rapids
Did you know the Kent County Jail used to be right in the middle of downtown Grand Rapids? According to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the original jail stood at Campau Avenue and Pike Street, just off the Blue Bridge. Built way back in 1871–72, it wasn’t just a jail—it was also the sheriff’s home. The sheriff’s family lived there too, and his wife even cooked meals for inmates in their own kitchen.
A Look at the Jail’s Architecture and Layout
The building was a beautiful Italianate style, with a covered porch, fancy brickwork, and arched windows. The jail took up one side, and the sheriff’s living quarters were up front, with a public entrance at the base of a tower. The whole place was fenced in by Campau, Pike, and Louis streets, with the Grand River just a block away.
HistoryGrandRapids.org points out that if you look closely at old photos, you can spot bars on the jail windows and the word “County” carved into the brickwork above some windows—small details that gave away its real purpose.
From Historic Landmark to Hotel District
That building served the county for over 85 years before it was torn down in 1958. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office says it was once considered one of the most attractive buildings in the city…