Glazier
This calaboose is owned by the county and located on the eastern edge of Glazier, Texas and the north side of U.S. Highway 60. According to the Minutes of the Commissioner’s Court, the lot was purchased on September 25, 1911 and the calaboose was constructed on May 18, 1912. It is made of concrete using the poured in place method and the exterior was covered with stucco that was deteriorating. Therefore, the county applied new stucco that closely matches the original surface treatment. The glass and wooden window frames are also replacements. The exterior dimensions of this calaboose are 12 feet across the front and 14 feet on the sides (168 square feet). It is 8 feet tall. The door is original and is centered in the front of the jail. It measures 29 inches wide by 74 inches tall. There are two windows (one on each side of the entry room) that consist of glass panes framed with wood and covered with metal bars affixed to the exterior of the wall. There is one cell that is defined by a metal door with bars set into a concrete wall. The cell is at the back of the jail and measures 4 foot 6 inches deep and 8 foot and 10 inches wide. The difference in the cell measurements and the exterior dimensions are due to the walls that are 8 inches thick. The cell door measures 31 inches wide by 74 inches tall. The ceiling consists of painted wooden boards. On the interior is a segment of metal pipe that served as ventilation for a heater. According to local historian, Wallace Forrest, this calaboose used to be in the main part of town. However, a tornado passed through in 1947 and destroyed all of the buildings in town except the calaboose and bank vault. The survival of these buildings is a testament to their excellent construction. A similar situation occurred in Port O’Connor (Calhoun County) when the calaboose was the only building standing after Hurricane Carla devastated much of the Texas coast in 1961. There were no Sanborn maps at the agencies visited for Glazier, Texas at the time of this study. This structure conforms to Floor Plan 1b (see Floor Plans). It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41HH34. Mr. Forrest is currently completing the necessary documents to obtain a historic marker from the State of Texas.
