Old Mecosta County Jail

Big Rapids became the county seat in 1859 and incorporated as a city in 1869. This building, antedated by two other jails, served as the county jail and sheriff’s residence from 1893 until 1965. The oldest public structure in the original plat of the village of Big Rapids, it features gable and hip roofs and turrets characteristic of Queen Anne-style architecture. The adjacent grounds have been used for a park and for concerts.