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  Texas : Architecture : Jail :

THE JAIL AT LA GRANGE
La Grange, Texas

by Johnny Stucco
Photos by John Troesser
Date: 1881
Style: Victorian Gothic
Architects: Andrewarthe and Wahrenberger
Contractor: Fritz Schulte

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Fayette County Jail built with Muldoon blue sandstone , La Grange, Texas
 
Fayette County Jail, La Grange, Texas old photo
L- The jail at La Grange today. Photo August 2004
R- Same view. Vintage photo courtesy Fayette County Heritage Museum & Archives
The people of La Grange in 1837 either believed in before-need planning or else they had a serious crime problem. They organized the county in December of 1837 and had their jail completed by the next July. After this first jail wore out prisoners were then farmed out to be kept in private homes for a year.

The county paid the keepers the munificent fee of $3 per day and there was probably a list of people willing to house and feed cold-blooded killers for serious money like that. The total expenditure for this experiment came to $622 – fully one half of the county’s entire annual budget.

A prisoner named John Vaughn (crime unknown) had his trial date set so far in advance that when the arithmetic was done, it was realized his stay would cost the county $800. He was moved around to other jails – to get a lower bid. Finally, Vaughn was parked at the Travis County jail for a mere $111.

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Fayette County Jail tower detail, La Grange, Texas
The top part of the building

Photo August 2004
Fayette County Jail top windows, La Grange, Texas
Fayette County Jail window with wind chimes, La Grange, Texas
L- The right side of the jail. Photo October 2004
R- A window with windchimes. Photo December 2001		  
In the early 1880s, the county issued twenty-two bonds at $1000 each to build a new first-class jail. next page

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This page last modified: August 10, 2007