Old Benton County Jail
A ghost of a lynching victim is said to still remain locked up in this old Midwestern jail
Paranormal Reports at
Old Benton County Jail
- Strange smells have been encountered in the cell block
- Disembodied voices have been heard
- A black moving mass has been seen in the basement
- Strange growls and knocking sounds have been heard in the cell block
- An entity around the jail is known for breathing into peoples’ ears
- EMF spikes are reported throughout the building
- Past investigators have recorded potential EVPs throughout the building
- People have been touched by unseen forces in the basement
- ITC activity has been noted by past investigators
- Voices have been heard calling out people’s names
History of Old Benton County Jail
In the rural town of Fowler, Indiana, across the street from the modern county jail, stands a relic of law enforcement past. Compared to the new building, the Old Benton County Jail looks more like a historic stone mansion than a local lock up.
But, for over 120 years, the old cream colored stone building housed both local criminals, as well as the Benton County Sheriff and their family.
The old jail hasn’t seen an inmate or a new Sheriff since the 1990s. However, some say the historic building stays alive today through specters from the afterlife.
Strange smells, unexplained sounds, and shadow figures are all common reports around the Old Benton County Jail today. The ghost stories have proven so intriguing to some, the old jail now offers tours and investigations. Ready for a haunting night of lockdown?
Timeline of Old Benton County Jail's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Old Benton County Jail through the years
1876
In the 1870s, rural Indiana was a desolate but rapidly developing area of the country. Fowler, Indiana was founded in 1872, and by 1875 had already been incorporated. It was only a matter of time before all the trimmings of a proper town sprouted up. And, in 1876, one of a town’s most important buildings appeared: the town jail.
State law at the time mandated the local Sheriff’s house be attached to the local jail. For Fowler, this meant a small jail in the center of a residential neighborhood, with a large house built onto the cellblock.
1883
All was well with Fowler’s new jail at first. But in 1883, all that changed. That year, Jacob Nelling was arrested and accused of murdering a 15 year old girl. But, Nelling would never see his day in court. Late on the night of November 18th, a gang of men descended on the Benton County Jail. They broke into the jail and, after a good deal of work, succeeded in getting Nelling out of his cell.
The mob hanged Nelling from a tree down the road from the jail. No other lynchings occurred in Fowler, but Nelling’s left a lasting stain on the town.
1962
After the turmoil of 1883, the Benton County Jail ran quietly for the next century. The Sheriff’s family had the task of preparing food for everyone in the building, prisoners included. So, each family that moved in stayed busy tending to the many needs of the county’s jailed population. The tradition of the Sheriff’s family cooking and managing the jail continued well into the 20th century.
It wasn’t until Fowler got its first female Sheriff in 1962 that the system changed. Hired workers finally coming in to help with jail operations.
1997
Though built when Fowler was a small but growing village, the Benton County Jail building served its purpose until 1997. By then, the community and county had outgrown the space. Indiana had also revoked the law requiring the Sheriff to live on-site at the jail. This made the attached house unneeded.
A new jail opened across the street that year, and the old limestone jail went dark and silent. But, it wouldn’t stay that way. Tales soon spread that the old jail was haunted. Today visitors come from far and wide to see ghosts for themselves.
Is Old Benton County Jail Haunted?
Many of the ghost stories around the haunted Indiana jail focus on the lynching victim, Jacob Nelling. But, the jail has many supposed spirits haunting its cells and corridors.
And while most of the building has paranormal claims of some kind, the hot spot is often said to be the cell blocks.
The town of Fowler didn’t need all that many jail cells, but the little cell block is now said to be stacked with different kinds of activity. Knocks, taps, and other unexplained sounds are often heard throughout the area.
Some say the noises are reactive to questions and requests. Unexplained growling or deep mumbling noises have also been heard around the cell blocks. Along with all that, strange smells, both good and bad, have been noted around certain cells.
Ghosts In The Jail Basement
The jail’s basement is also a well-known haunted hotbed. A large section of the basement is taken up by what is known as ‘the dungeon.’
This cramped and windowless array of rooms where inmates were purportedly chained. This was reportedly a means of interrogation during the jail’s operation.
Now, the area of the old ‘dungeon’ is said to be one of the most haunted places in the jail. Visiting investigators have reported large and sudden EMF spikes in the area.
Others have been overcome by unexplainable eerie and off-putting feelings in that area of the basement. Some have even claimed to be touched by unseen hands while exploring this dark basement area.
The Black Mass of Old Benton County Jail
The dungeon isn’t the only haunted area of the Old Benton County Jail’s basement. Elsewhere in the snaking underground corridors, people have reported a moving black mass lurking about. At least one person has claimed the black figure in the basement moved towards them right as they saw it.
Around the same area this entity has been seen, visitors have reportedly felt an unseen being breathing directly into their ears.
Hauntings In The Sheriff’s House
Even the old Sheriff’s house isn’t immune from the jail’s ghosts. Throughout the old house section, guests have reported audible disembodied voices. These are especially prominent on the second floor around the old family bedrooms.
And as ghost hunting groups have come and gone from the building, many have come away with potential EVP recordings of these disembodied voices in the house. Shadow figures and other unknown apparitions have also been spotted around the home’s second floor at times.
Ghost Hunters Call Out To The Dead
Many paranormal enthusiasts have come through the Old Benton County Jail in recent years. They’ve reportedly had great luck with some experiments using ITC instruments.
Instrumental transcommunication (ITC) devices are intended as mediums to speak with spirits. This includes instruments such as the Spirit Box and Ovilus (as well as others).
In the attic area of the building, teams have noted many possible responses using these tools. Visiting ghost hunters have further noted interaction with flashlight communication sessions.
Potential EVP recordings have also been collected around the attic by paranormal researchers.
Old Benton County Jail
& Phantoms of Fowler
The Old Benton County Jail, like any jail, was never the most popular place in town. But, since its closure, it has become more well-known and appreciated than it ever was before. The old jailhouse is slowly becoming more active as more ghost hunters and interested researchers visit the building.
And as more paranormal enthusiasts visit the jail, the more popular its ghost stories seem to become.
Investigations can be booked at the Old Benton County Jail through My Haunted Fowler. This is an organization promoting ghost stories and paranormal culture in the community. My Haunted Fowler also offers ghost hunts of the nearby Fowler Theatre. Interested groups can even book both the haunted theater and the old jail in one night!
So while the jail’s era of containing criminals is over, it seems its days of intriguing ghost hunters have only just begun. And what does a small Indiana town need if not a jail with an eager waiting list?
