HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
            “Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
  Home  — My Markers  — Add A Marker  — Marker Series  — Links & Books  — Forum  — About Us
Jourdanton in Atascosa County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Old Atascosa County Jail
 
Old Atascosa County Jail Marker Photo, Click for full size
By John A Hensarling, June 21, 2012
1. Old Atascosa County Jail Marker
 
Inscription. County officials rented a small Jourdanton house for a jail in 1911 after the county seat was moved here from Pleasanton in 1910. A proposal to build a new jail with cells from the old Pleasanton structure was rejected and this reinforced-concrete, brick-clad building with new steel cells was authorized in 1915.

This site was purchased that year from W.M. Abernethy (1851-1931), who had served as County Judge from 1901 to 1912. The architect of the 1912 Courthouse, Henry T. Phelps (1881-1945) of San Antonio, was chosen to supervise erection of the jail. The Southern Structural Steel Company of San Antonio was awarded the $20,000 construction contract. An electic blend of architectural elements was highlighted with crenelated towers and hood molds outlining the windows.

The first floor housed offices and living quarters for Sheriffs and their families, provided from 1916 to 1959. A gallows room was built on the second floor, though its trap door was never sprung for execution. Standard and specialized cells were partitioned on the second and third floors.

Additions were built in 1974, with bricks and detailing carefully matching original patterns. A new jail was built to replace this building in 1982. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.
 
Erected 1986 by Texas Historical Commission
 
Old Atascosa County Jail Marker Photo, Click for full size
By John A Hensarling, June 21, 2012
2. Old Atascosa County Jail Marker
 
. (Marker Number 3687.)
 
Location. 28° 55.24′ N, 98° 32.81′ W. Marker is in Jourdanton, Texas, in Atascosa County. Marker is on Broadway. Click for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 711 Broadway, Jourdanton TX 78026, United States of America.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Atascosa County Courthouse (about 500 feet away, in a direct line); Martin Abstract Company (about 500 feet away); Atascosa County (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Atascosa County Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jourdanton United Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Jourdanton (approx. 0.7 miles away); Ralph Roy Smith (approx. ¾ mile away); St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church (approx. 0.8 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Jourdanton.
 
Additional keywords. Jails; prisons
 
Credits. This page originally submitted on June 20, 2012, by John A Hensarling of Campbellton, Texas. This page has been viewed 94 times since then. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2012, by John A Hensarling of Campbellton, Texas. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
 
Recommend or Share This Page.  
Share on Tumblr


•••
More Search Options
 
Markers
Near You

 
Categories

 
States & Provinces

 
Counties
Click to List


 
Countries

Page composed
in 184 ms.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To search within this page, hold down the Ctrl key and press F.
On an Apple computer,
hold down the Apple key and press F.