Old Marshall Jail

The Old Marshall Jail offers boutique lodging in a completely renovated historic jail on the banks of the French Broad River. Come learn about the history of Marshall and become part of its future!

The Old Marshall Jail offers four suites and two bunkrooms adjacent to the French Broad River in the heart of downtown Marshall.

Suites include kitchenettes and private bathrooms. Bunkrooms, which can connect to the suites via an adjoining door, feature a shared bathrooms for guests who are traveling light. 

We’re delighted to be able to offer our historic accommodation to a wide range of travelers. 

Each room features original characteristics from the building, constructed in 1905 and renovated in 1940. Each room is truly unique! Discover the history of the town via the many custom bricks, photographs and exhibitions on the walls. 

The Old Marshall Jail Hotel is co-owned by Emily and Josh Copus and managed by the amazing Morgan Diep and her team. We are Marshall locals committed to creating a strong link between Appalachia’s rich past and its future. We are stewards of this beautiful perch above the French Broad River on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest. 

Josh and Emily Copus bought the Old Marshall Jail with four partners in 2016. For five years, we carefully deconstructed the original structure, preserving the historic aspects of the building and piecing it back together into a fully renovated and reimagined space. In 2021, we officially launched the Old Marshall Jail Hotel, which we own and operate as a husband-and-wife team. 

We are inspired by the many men and women who worked together in this community in the previous decades, including Doward and Toka Gentry, who worked in this same building, and Emma and Zadie Ponder, parents to the notorious E.Y. and Zeno Ponder. 

Emily and Josh also co-own Zadie’s Market, which serves drinks and meals and sells groceries in the first floor space below the Old Marshall Jail Hotel. 

Emily is the owner of nearby Carolina Flowers, a sustainable cut flower farm and floristry business. 

Josh is a woodfire potter who displays work in galleries throughout the world. His art begins with local clay that he digs from his property, and it is on display throughout the hotel.