DUANE
Duane's take
Well, here's my telling of what the Texas Historical Commission saw fit to put in stone right there in La Grange — so let's get into it. Now, when the Congress of the Republic of Texas established Fayette County back in 1837, La Grange stepped up as the seat of government, and any seat of government worth its salt needs somewhere to put the troublemakers. So they built a county jail in 1838.
Used it for ten years, then sold it off — which, if you think about it, is a real interesting way to handle civic infrastructure, but this is Texas in the 1840s, so we'll let it ride. Come 1853, the county purchased two lots in block 33 for a proper new jail, and they brought in architect William Lewis and a local stonemason by the name of Heinrich Kreische to design and build a two-story structure. That jail stood through remodeling in 1876, looked like it was settling in for the long haul — and then, on April 28, 1880, an arsonist burned the whole thing down.
Just like that. Someone decided the story of that jail was over, and they made sure of it personally. Fayette County, however, is not a place that stays down.
They approved construction of a new county jail, completed in 1883, right back in the same location — same ground, new purpose, new stone. This time they brought in noted architects James Wahrenberger and John Andrewartha, and these gentlemen did not come to play. They designed a T-shaped structure in the Victorian Gothic architectural style — which is a way of saying it looked serious, it looked permanent, and it looked like it had opinions about you the moment you walked up to it.
Rock was hauled all the way from Buckner's Creek for the outer walls, and Muldoon sandstone was used for much of the building — rustic on the outside, polished stone for emphasis, a feeling of solidity that was very much the point. Inside, the two-story jail featured sixteen cells, and here's the detail that tends to catch people off guard: it also included living quarters and an office for the sheriff and his family, because the sheriff and his family lived there and cared for the prisoners. You want to talk about bringing your work home with you, that is the definitive case.
Then in May of 1884, they erected a substantial and ornamental six-foot iron fence surrounding the jail — and the marker makes a point of calling that fence a significant historical feature of the historic grounds, which tells you it wasn't just practical, it was a statement. That 1883 Fayette County Jail served its original function for over a hundred years, right up until August of 1985, when the new Fayette County Justice Center opened and the old girl finally got to rest. It was remodeled in the 1990s with many of the original elements intact, and since then it's gone on serving the La Grange community in ways nobody in 1883 could have mapped out.
The Texas Historical Commission made it a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 2017. Built once, burned down, built again out of Buckner's Creek rock and Muldoon sandstone and pure stubbornness — that jail outlasted the arsonist, outlasted a century of county business, and it's still standing on the same two lots in block 33 where it was always meant to be.
What the marker says
When the congress of the Republic of Texas established Fayette County in 1837, La Grange became its seat of government. A county jail was built in 1838 and used for ten years before it was sold. In 1853, the county purchased two lots in block 33 for a new jail. Architect William Lewis and local stonemason Heinrich Kreische were hired to design and build the two-story structure. The jail was remodeled in 1876 and then destroyed by an arsonist on April 28, 1880. Fayette County approved the construction of a new county jail, completed in 1883 in the same location. Noted architects James Wahrenberger and John Andrewartha designed the stone jail. Rock was hauled from Buckner’s Creek for the outer walls and Muldoon sandstone was used for much of the building. The t-shaped structure features Victorian Gothic architectural style elements and expresses a feeling of solidity with rustic sandstone emphasized with polished stone. The two-story jail featured 16 cells, as well as living quarters and an office for the sheriff and his family who cared for the prisoners. In May 1884, a substantial and ornamental six-foot iron fence was erected surrounding the jail, a significant historical feature of the historic grounds. The 1883 Fayette County Jail served its original function until august 1985 when the new Fayette County Justice Center opened. The building was remodeled in the 1990s with many of the original elements intact. Since then, the building has served many functions benefiting the La Grange community. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2017