Austin County Jail - Bellville, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member WalksfarTX
N 29° 56.963 W 096° 15.451
14R E 764691 N 3316340
1896 former jail is located on South Bell Street.
Waymark Code: WMZGFH
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/08/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
Views: 1

NRHP Nomination Form 1980

"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."

Public/Private: Public

Tours Available?: No

Year Built: 1896

Web Address: Not listed

Visit Instructions:

Category Visiting Requirements


An original photo is necessary to log a visit in this category along with a description of the visit. No extra visit requirements are allowed by the waymarker.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Victorian Style Architecture
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
WalksfarTX visited Austin County Jail - Bellville, TX 08/29/2021 WalksfarTX visited it
Raven visited Austin County Jail - Bellville, TX 10/03/2020 Raven visited it

View all visits/logs