In 1875, Alpine County's seat was moved from Silver Mountain (Kongsberg) to Markleeville. Because a new jail was needed, a foundation was laid using logs, the iron cells from the old jail were placed on it, and the rest of the building was completed with logs using the mortise and tenon method. So far as is known, no other jail was ever built like this one. In 1969, the jail was moved to its present site. It was donated to the Historical Society in memory of Sheriff Orrin P. Brown.