|
The
County Jail by Milton Autry
(From A
History of Coleman County and Its People,
1985
After Coleman was established and
organized as the county seat in 1876,
attention quickly turned to the need for
public buildings. A courthouse was a
pertinent need, and every few months brought a
new proposal for one. A more pressing
need was a jail, as prisoners had to be taken
to Brownwood. In 1879, while courthouse
plans pended, a jail (the first public
building on the courthouse square) was built
at a cost of $9400 on the northwest corner of
the courthouse block. It had a flat
roof, small windows and an arching
doorway. It is not known whether the
first jail was not well built or if it did not
contain inside ironwork, but an entry in 1886
reports that the Coleman County Grand Jury had
condemned the structure, citing its many
short-comings, including the point that it
would not hold the prisoners. They also
urged that a new jail be speedily
erected. The new County Commissioners
Court took office and in 1887 ordered that the
jail be repaired. On August 20, 1889 a
contract was signed calling for construction
of a new jail.
The contract on the new jail was on two bids, $9975 for the building and $5600 for the ironwork. J. W. Green was the contractor and on April 26, 1890 the structure was accepted. In 1970, a historical marker was placed on the jail.  Coleman street scene in the 1890s with second jail to right of courthouse, and possibly remodeled first jail to the left (see close-up, below).  |