Corsicana's FIRST Brick Jail - Corsicana, TX
N 32° 05.616 W 096° 27.948
14S E 739159 N 3553621
Built in 1908, Corsicana's first brick jail is now a private residence at 207 W 5th St. Please take only photos and leave only footprints, from a reasonable distance.
Waymark Code: WM15V2A
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/27/2022
Views: 2
A 1976 Texas Historical Marker provides some history:
The city's first brick jail, this structure was erected in 1908 adjacent to the city hall on a lot purchased from Rebecca A. Croft, widow of Judge William Croft. On the lower floor were cells and on the top floor the police chief's office, occupied by Will S. Knight, Corsicana's first police chief, 1906-36. His office was moved to the new city hall in 1924 and two more cells added. The facilities were heated by gas in the winter and at times were crowded with as many as 80 prisoners. This building housed the city jail until 1974.
The Navarro County Texas Genealogical and Historical Site (see below) is a great resource, and they have some articles written that were used for the narrative for the Texas Historical Marker. The site notes that this piece of property was purchased from Mrs. Croft for $750. The jail, the city's third, was constructed for $5,275, and its walls are three layers thick of brickwork. Access was through any of three doors -- two in front, one in back (the latter now covered) -- and some of the interior doors and latches were reused from the previous jail.
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