It was first added to the National Register of Historic Places August 10, 1978, while still located at its original location of 124 West Day Street, near downtown Kent immediately south of Haymaker Parkway.

In December 1999 the building was moved to 497 Middlebury Road to make way for a Walgreens drug store, and was subsequently delisted from the register July 20, 2000.

It is an example of late Victorian architecture and is one of three known remaining small town jail buildings in eastern Ohio.

The jail was used for incarceration until the 1930s and later served as home of the city's service director and engineer until the 1940s.

After a period of vacancy, it was purchased in 1950 and used as a private home by various owners until it was moved in 1999.