1912 Cameron County Jail
Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Originally built as a three-story structure in 1912, this building, Cameron County's second jailhouse, was enlarged with the addition of a 4th floor about 1929. The 1912 structure was designed by prominent architect Atlee B. Ayers and the 1929 addition by Ayers and his son and partner Robert Ayers. The building's classical revival style is a distinctive design for this type of resource. A one-story frame building was erected in the courtyard in the 1940s. The building served as Cameron County Jail and Sheriff's Office until 1978. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1994
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Cameron County's second jailhouse rose in Brownsville in 1912, a three-story classical revival building designed by the prominent San Antonio architect Atlee B. Ayres. A fourth floor was added about 1929 by Ayres and his son Robert, and the building served as county jail and sheriff's office until 1978. Its dignified design was unusual for a structure of its utilitarian purpose.
Why it matters
The jail reflects how early-twentieth-century Texas invested civic architecture with public dignity, even in its institutions of law and order along the Rio Grande border.
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Related people
- · Atlee B. Ayres
- · Robert Ayres
Themes & tags
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