Austin County Jail - Bellville, TX - Victorian Style Architecture on Waymarking.com

"Fortress-like in appearance, the Austin County Jail in Bellville, fashioned in the Romanesque Revival style, clearly suggests the use it has served for more than 80 years. Castellated facades such as those of this building were popular for important public buildings of the late 19th century as a symbol of strength and endurance. Built on land originally granted to settlers in Stephen F. Austin's "Old 300" group, the structure is the second facility to serve this county which was one of the earliest areas of Anglo settlement in Texas."

"Though simple in plan, the dark walls of solid masonry, accented with contrasting rusticated limestone and subtle brick corbelling address the late 19th century popularity of Romanesque Revival architecture while a medieval influence is reflected in the bartizans and battlement. A hanging gallows was housed on the fourth floor in the projecting tower although it was used only once. One Gus Davis was hanged for the murder of Herman Schlunz on March 14, 1901 at 2:14 PM. The jail has continued to house prisoners of the county through the years and today serves as the living quarters for the Chief Deputy Sheriff."