Historical Marker Dedicated At Old Fayette County Jail

Since March the Texas Heroes Museum in downtown La Grange had been closed because of pandemic precautions.

But for one day, Saturday, the treasured history and artifacts of Texas Heroes that are on display inside the museum – which is housed in the Old Fayette County jail –was open again for a celebratory occasion.

The building that houses the museum is also a star attraction.

On the fourth anniversary of the museum’s opening, a special Texas Historical marker was dedicated in front of the museum, detailing the history of the old jail building.

A short ceremony was held Saturday afternoon at the marker. Museum director Charles Murray said more than 6,000 visitors have come to the museum in its four years.

Bobbie Nash, President of the Fayette County Historical Commission said this is the 339th historical marker in Fayette County.

“Our job is to make sure history is not forgotten,” Nash said.

“No county has a more illustrious history or more energetic people,” said Arnold Romberg, current President of the Texas Heroes Museum.

County Judge Joe Weber thanked his predecessor, former County Judge Ed Janecka, for his role in preserving the county’s history and working to preserve historic buildings like the old jail, and Weber pledged to keep historic preservation a big priority in Fayette County.

After the ceremony is was back to work for the volunteer museum staff as a steady stream of visitors came to enjoy the reopening.

Here’s the complete text of the new historical marker in front of the old jail building:

Fayette County Jail

When the Congress of the Republic of Texas established Fayette County in 1837, La Grange became its seat of government. A county jail was built in 1838 and used for ten years before it was sold. In 1853, the county purchased two lots in Block 33 for a new jail. Architect William Lewis and local stonemason Heinrich Kreische were hired to design and build the two-story structure. The jail was remodeled in 1876 and then destroyed by an arsonist on April 28, 1880. Fayette County approved the construction of a new county jail, completed in 1883 in the same location.

Noted architects James Wahrenberger and John Andrewwartha designed the stone jail. Rock was hauled from Buckner’s Creek for the out walls and Muldoon sandstone was used for much of the building. The T-shaped structure features Victorian Gothic architectural style elements and expresses a feeling of solidity with rustic sandstone emphasized with polished stone.

The two story jail features 16 cells, as well as living quarters and an office for the sheriff and his family who cared for prisoners. In May 1884, a substantial and ornamental six-foot iron fence was erected surrounding the jail, a sinfonietta historical feature of the historic grounds.

The 1883 Fayette County Jail served its original function until August 1985 when the new Fayette County Justice Center opened. The building was remodeled in the 1990s with many of the original elements intact. Since then, the building has served many fictions benefiting the La Grange community