1927 Montague County Jail
Montague, Montague County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The third structure to serve as Montague County Jail, this building was erected by the Southern Prison Company of San Antonio in 1927. The first floor contained living quarters for the jailer and his family, and six prison cells were maintained on the second floor. Used as a jail until a new facility was built in 1980, the building's architectural features include its entry portico, stone cornice, cast stone window sills, and simple tile detailing. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1991.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Erected in 1927 by the Southern Prison Company of San Antonio, this was the third building to serve as the Montague County Jail. It combined function and domestic life in one structure: living quarters for the jailer and his family on the first floor and six cells above. Serving until 1980, its entry portico, stone cornice, and cast-stone details reflect the civic architecture of small-town Texas in the 1920s.
Why it matters
Early county jails like this one document how rural American communities built and administered local justice in the early twentieth century.
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Nearby & related markers
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