Old Atascosa County Jail

County officials rented a small Jourdanton house for a jail in 1911 after the county seat was moved here from Pleasanton in 1910. A proposal to build a new jail with cells from the old Pleasanton structure was rejected and this reinforced-concrete, brick-clad building with new steel cells was authorized in 1915. <br><br>This site was purchased that year from W.M. Abernethy (1851-1931), who had served as County Judge from 1901 to 1912. The architect of the 1912 Courthouse, Henry T. Phelps (1881-1945) of San Antonio, was chosen to supervise erection of the jail. The Southern Structural Steel Company of San Antonio was awarded the $20,000 construction contract. An electic blend of architectural elements was highlighted with crenelated towers and hood molds outlining the windows. <br><br>The first floor housed offices and living quarters for Sheriffs and their families, provided from 1916 to 1959. A gallows room was built on the second floor, though its trap door was never sprung for execution. Standard and specialized cells were partitioned on the second and third floors. <br><br>Additions were built in 1974, with bricks and detailing carefully matching original patterns. A new jail was built to replace this building in 1982. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.