Milam County Courthouse and Jail - Cameron, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 51.003 W 096° 58.585
14R E 693504 N 3414736
The 1890 courthouse and catty-corned to the courthouse is the 1895 Romanesque Revival Jailhouse.
Waymark Code: WMR3YG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/09/2016
Views: 2
From Texas EscapesThis fourth courthouse, the present structure, was designed by A. O. Watson of the Larmour & Watson firm. It was approved by the Commissioners Court on April 20, 1892. The old courthouse was torn down, and the new one was erected on its site. The design employed is Renaissance Revival with identical north and south facades. Made of cream-colored limestone, it is considered sixty percent fireproof. Square Corinthian columns rise from the heavily rusticated base, while the four entrances have non-functional balconies.
The original tower, clad with a decorative sheet metal skin rising above a Mansard roof; the clock; and the statue of the Goddess of Justice (which had been used for illegal target practice) were removed in 1938 during World War II. This was in response to the need for more metal for the War efforts. The metal skin and the clock itself were used for the war. The statue was put in a safe place, just in case it would later be put back on top. In fact, the place is so safe that after over fifty years, the statue still hasn't been found.
A recipient of a grant from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, the courthouse is being restored to its former grandeur. When we went by there in July 2001, the area was fenced off, many windows and doors were boarded up, and construction crews were hard at work. But right there on top of the new tower is the Goddess of Justice. She's not the original one, but she still reminds folks what the courthouse is there for.
Text of Historical Marker for Jail:
This structure, designed with Romanesque revival features and stone detailing above the windows, had three main floors and a "hanging tower" equipped with a trap door. The tower was never used for executions because most hangings took place outdoors.
The first floor had ten rooms, three for storage and the remainder serving as a residence for the sheriff and his family. The second and third stories consisted of cell blocks for prisoners. In 1975 a new county jail was constructed, and the Commissioners Court turned this facility over to the Milam County Historical Commission. After renovation, it was opened as a museum in 1978.