According to historical records, this jail might have been the temporary holding site for two infamous criminals, known as the Nicely Brothers. Joseph and David Nicely were convicted in 1889 of the murder of Herman Umberger, a wealthy farmer in Sommerset, PA. The brothers went to the gallows just after Christmas in 1889, still protesting their innocence. The purse full of money they allegedly stole was never recovered.

The last man incarcerated in this jail escaped during the night and was never found. Soon after, the county constructed a stone jail in its place.

The structure was also used as a holding cell for the town drunk, and those charged with petty theft, congenital criminality and moral insanity, causing social unrest, brawling, and gambling on Sundays.