Burnet County 1884 Historic Jail House - Burnet, Texas USA
N 30° 45.464 W 098° 13.573
14R E 574056 N 3403008
Burnet County's historical jail house was constructed in 1884 and got a historical marker and medallion in February in 1963. The old jail house was repurposed to be the town's museum and visitor center in 2022.
Waymark Code: WM192GG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/14/2023
Views: 1
The sign of history is a two sided plaque on the south side of the historical county jail house, where a sidewalk connecting the side entrance into the building meets with the sidewalk near E. Washington Street. An iron picket fence runs along the sidewalk and where the gate in the fence is found, there is this sign mounted in the yard just a few feet from the fence.
When the photos of this sign of history posting were taken, the long list describing the facts of history related to the jail house was facing toward the E. Washington Street and on the back side of the sign that faced toward the jail's exterior walls was an artistic rendering of a large star-shaped badge on the top half of the sign, with a banner drawn around the badge showing the date "1884" over the center point of the star and across the bottom points of the star text read "History Jailhouse". Then, below the bannered star, bold font type read:
"Burnet County Visitor Center & Museum". A visitor would only see this side while leaving the building and walking toward the street.
The text describing the long history of the building as a jail was facing the sidewalk and street and is easily seen from any one along the sidewalk or beyond. The text on this side of the plaque read as follows:
"Burnet County 1884 Historic Jail House
Architect F. E. Ruffini
Before the completion of the 1884 jail. inmates were kept in a one room cell in the basement of the 1856 Burnet County Courthouse.
The Commissioners Court & Architect signed contracts in July 1804 to begin construction. The rock work of the jail cost $9,330 and the steelwork was $5,330.
The jail began housing prisoners in 1886, at one-point housing 40 prisoners. A kitchen and bathroom addition were completed in 1939, bringing running waster to this structure.
Sheriff Wallace Riddell served as the Burnet County Sheriff from 1939-1978. He held the record for longest standing Sheriff until 2008.
The first Burnet County library was established in 1949 by Sheriff Riddell's wife, Essie, and housed upstairs.
The Texas Historical Commission presented Burnet County Jail with a historical marker medallion in February 1963. The medallion is mounted near the west facing door.
A tornado ripped through Burnet at 4:10 AM on March 10th 1973, destroying the two chimneys on the roof.
The jail housed its last inmate in 1982. The historic jail was converted into office space to accommodate the juvenile and adult probation offices.
The Sheriff Riddell statue was moved from the courthouse grounds to its current location in July 2016.
Probation officers were moved out in January 2019, restoration and renovation of the historic jail began.
The 1884 Historic Jail House opened as a museum and visitor's center in April 2022.
County Judge: James Oakley
Commissioners
Pct. 1 Jim Luther, Jr. Pct 3 Billy Wall
Pct 2 Damon Beierle Pct 4 Joe Don Dockery"
Group that erected the marker: Burnet County Judge and Precinct Commissioners
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Historical Burnet County Jail House
109 S. Pierce Street
Burnet, Texas USA
78611
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.