The Williamson County jail was located on the east lawn of the Williamson County Courthouse until October 1888. The new jail, located at 312 Main Street, began accepting prisoners in January 1889.

The old county jail was not attached to the courthouse. It was a free-standing building on the east side of the courthouse lawn. Shown below is the 1885 Sandborn Insurance map showing the location of the jail. While it was located close to the courthouse, it was not attached. It did have a fence which encircled the building and its yard which may have attached to the courthouse in some way.  

Click on thumb nail for larger picture  

The old jail was closed in October 1888 and the prisoners moved to the Travis County jail because of frequent jail breaks. The jail on Main Street was approved for construction during the county commissioners' court session on January 3, 1888. It's funding - contrary to what appears on the state historical marker - was through the sale of bonds. The land for the jail site was David Love's wagon yard which was purchased through the donation of funds by prominent Williamson County residents. The new jail was accepted by the county commissioners in January 1889 and prisoners began to be housed there.
 

 

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As you come up Austin Ave. from the south (in the past this was the old hwy 81)
the jail sits on what they called Jail Hill.

circa 1888

Williamson County jail as it is today
312 Main Street

view enlarged photo           view history plaque

 

circa 1888

Williamson County jail side view
312 Main Street

view  enlarged photo            see history plaque

view Building a New County Jail in 1888 - PDF file
a special thanks to Jim Dillard for this slice of history -
(Excerpt from The Noble John Olive by Jim Dillard)

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 view PDF of the write up from the "Williamson County Sun"
    "special credit to the Williamson County Sun for this story"
     if you don't have a copy of Adobe PDF Reader go to  
    Get Adobe Reader

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 view images of the old jail and it's  interior  -
click on images for an enlarged view

  


note fence around the
exercise area


Jail's Historical
plaque

 


plaque


tour 2005


keys


window - note lattice for ventilation
(the jail had no air Conditioning)


chains


check out book


view windows


inside cell


restraining chains


out side cell
bull walk


door locking
mechanism


going inside cell


cell bunks

checker board

graffiti

graffiti

graffiti

graffiti

graffiti

graffiti
       

 

view other Buildings
 

 


 

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