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63. Old Williamson County Jail (1888)

The lawlessness of frontier days prompted county fathers to commission this imposing fortress-like jail, the county’s fourth. Unlike former jails, it was cited several blocks from the courthouse itself. The limestone building with crenelated parapet was designed by prominent Waco architects Dodson and Dudley in a style reminiscent of the French Bastille. It offered a distinct improvement over the county’s first jail – a wagon turned upside down over the prisoner!

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