In 1901 a timber framed jail had been built, and at the end of that year the population had risen to between 2,000 and 3,000.

[6] The more secure stone jail was built in 1903 to replace the existing timer frame building.

The jail was built on Water Street, which was considered Tonopah's red light district at the time, possibly because county commissioner Egan and district attorney Charles L. Richards wished to keep the jail out of the town's more prominent areas.

It is built of uncut random stone with chink and mortar bonding, under a double pitched corrugated metal roof.

[2] The row house is also a single story rectangular building built of cut granite.