Smith County Jail, 1881 - Tyler, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 32° 21.040 W 095° 17.880
15S E 283746 N 3581626
This East Texas jail is typical of governmental buildings constructed during the pinnacle of Victorian architectural design in the late 19th century. Constructed between 1880 and 1881, it served as the county's third jail until 1916.
Waymark Code: WMX5QG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2017
Views: 1
NRHP Nomination Form Constructed between September 1880 and April 1881, it served as the county's third jail until 1916. The 2-story building follows a T-shape and has a steeply pitched, hipped roof covered with slate. The jail, of Italianate stylistic influence is constructed of hand made bricks coated with a layer of stucco that is scored to emulate cut stone.
While the jail now has a 2-story T-shape, it was originally a 2-story rectangular main block with a 1-story cell block as a rear appendage. In 1894, the county added a second floor to the cell block.
Randy Gilbert purchased the building in 1992 and, in 1993, he rehabilitated the Smith County Jail. This preservation project involved removing post-1916 additions, stabilizing structural elements, re-pointing brick, applying and painting stucco, restoring and reconstructing the staircase and the window systems, installing a slate roof and adequate mechanical systems, and duplicating missing details. The building now functions as a law office.