Bellville

The 1891 Sanborn fire insurance map (Sheet 1) depicts a two-story wood jail in Bellville, Texas.  It was located in city block F on the west side of Bell Street south of the courthouse and next to a two-story brick county jail. The wood jail is labelled “Old Jail.”  In 1896 (Sheet 1) both jails were gone and there was a small one-story wood jail described as “temporary” and in the same location. It was next to a larger two-story brick county jail that was apparently being built at the time. In 1906, the temporary wood jail was no longer present.

Ed Blackburn, Jr. (2006:26-28) states in his book “Wanted: Historic County Jails of Texas” that a wooden jail was built in 1854 by James Ervin and used until 1879.  This could be the one depicted on the 1891 Sanborn map.  Blackburn also mentions a “second keep” before 1896, but this has not been confirmed.  The 1896 jail was built by the Paul Jail Building Company of St. Louis.  This company had built a virtually identical jail for Milam County in 1895.  It was remodeled in 1921by Southern Structure Steel Company and used until 1982.  Today, it is a museum.

Bellville 1891

 Bellville 1896

Sealy 

The Sanborn map dated 1925 (Sheet 3) depicts a wood jail at 215 Front Street between lots 7 and 8 and facing the G.C. & S.F. RR tracks to the east.  A second jail was built in 1928 but I was not able to find it on the 1935 Sanborn map.