The Kingsburg jail was built in 1924 and 1925 to replace a dilapidated wooden jail built in 1874. On October 20, 1924, the Kingsburg City Council authorized the city clerk to call for bids, and less than a month later the Anton Johnson Company submitted the low bid of $3,098.00, with the location also agreed upon at that meeting. By February 16, 1925, the council was discussing cots and shelves and inviting the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to a dedication, and records indicate final payment to the contractor was made on April 20, 1925, only six months after bids were opened. The jail was constructed of poured-in-place concrete with steel reinforcing rods throughout its thick walls and ceiling, and it is estimated to weigh 125 tons. It was taken out of service in the early 1970s and then used as a police evidence storage facility and an equipment room for Kingsburg's first 911 phone system. Since the 1990s it has stood vacant and abandoned. Although moving it to the Kingsburg Historical Park grounds was considered, the structure was judged unlikely to withstand such a move, so it was instead leased to the Kingsburg Historical Society. In March 2008, a grant from the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation funded most of the restoration and displays there today.