Downtown in Tyler in Smith County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Smith County Jail, 1881

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 2, 2024

1. Smith County Jail, 1881 Marker

Inscription. Houston architect Eugene T. Heiner and builder Henry Kane designed and built this structure in 1880-81 to serve as Smith County's fourth jail. An 1894 second-story addition doubled the jail's cell space. The building was replaced by a new jail in 1916 and subsequently housed the Lewis Hotel until 1986. It features classical detailing of the Italianate style, a stucco finish scored to look like cut stone, elaborate window molds and consoles, and classical beltcourses.

Erected 1993 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 7723.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings.

Location. 32° 21.042′ N, 95° 17.883′ W. Marker is in Tyler, Texas, in Smith County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of East Erwin Street and South Fannin Avenue, on the right when traveling east on East Erwin Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 309 E Erwin Street, Tyler TX 75702, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and

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in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1881 Smith County Jail (here, next to this marker); Henry Miller Morgan (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Henry Miller Morgan (about 300 feet away); Camp Ford (about 700 feet away); Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (about 700 feet away); Yarbrough Building (about 700 feet away); Smith County as a 19th Century Legal Center (about 700 feet away); Camp Fannin (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tyler.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 2, 2024

2. Smith County Jail, 1881 Marker

Smith County Jail, 1881 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 2, 2024

3. Smith County Jail, 1881

Smith County Jail, 1881 N.R.H.P. plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 2, 2024

4. Smith County Jail, 1881 N.R.H.P. plaque

Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2024, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 286 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 3, 2024, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.