Shelby County Jail
|
|
|
 The Shelby County Jail is an outstanding example
of an 1880's small town Texas county jail.
The County Jail is especially significant in
the context of the courthouse and the courthouse
square. It is an important part of the ensemble
and relates particularly well to the courthouse
itself.
Indeed, the Shelby County Jail is a rarity
among Texas jails of the nineteenth century
precisely because it was designed at the
same time as the county courthouse and by
the same architect. Usually the appearance
of Texas jails was a low priority with county
commissioners. They saw no need to replace
an old jail when building a new courthouse,
and, as a result, a jail usually bore little
stylistic resemblance to its courthouse.
The commissioners of Shelby County, however,
saw an opportunity and took it. The result
is a pleasing correspondence between courthouse
and jail. TOGETHER IS BETTER: the two historic
buildings complement each other.
|
|
