Llano County Courthouse and Jail
Encyclopedia
The Llano County Courthouse and Jail were erected separately, but added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas on December 2, 1977 as one entry. The courthouse, located in the middle of Llano's historic square, was built in 1893. The exterior is made of sandstone
, marble
, and granite
. The interior of the courthouse was damaged by fire in 1932 and again in 1951. It is still in use today by local government
. The jail was erected in 1895, with the prisoner cells on the second and third floors, and the ground level solely for the office and living accommodations for the sheriff and his family. The jail was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
1979, Marker 9448. The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1980, Marker number 9446.
, who also designed the Brooks County Courthouse
, Fredericksburg Memorial Library
, Kendall County Courthouse
, Live Oak County Courthouse
, Presidio County Courthouse
, Wilson County Courthouse
, as well as courthouses in the counties of Goliad and Kerr
The structure mirrored exactly the 1882 Gillespie County courthouse, and was temporarily rented for church services. This structure burned down January 22, 1892. County records were saved. Remains of the building were sold.
courthouse. The firm of J. A. and G. H. Wilson of Sulphur Springs, Texas, was awarded the contract for a brick building trimmed with granite, at a cost of $47,000.
Construction of the present-day courthouse was completed on August 1, 1893. A foundation of granite supports the marble and granite columns, with a brick and stone exterior. F. Heierman and Bros. of Austin manufactured the interior iron stairway treads. Ornamental newels and balusters are of wood. The tower with colonnades and cupola was placed in the southwest corner, accessible only on the south and west. The roof of each corner pavilion section is pyramidal, with the main section truncated pyramid. A clock was added to the tower at a later date.
style, has been known as "Red Top" for its red roof. The first floor was used by the sheriff and his family for his office and the family living quarters. The second floor had four cells and two drunk tanks. The third and fourth floors housed the gallows.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The interior of the courthouse was damaged by fire in 1932 and again in 1951. It is still in use today by local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
. The jail was erected in 1895, with the prisoner cells on the second and third floors, and the ground level solely for the office and living accommodations for the sheriff and his family. The jail was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
1979, Marker 9448. The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1980, Marker number 9446.
The four courthouses of Llano County
The present courthouse is Llano County's fourth, one of which was only for temporary purposes.1859-1880 courthouse
The original 1859 box-like structure courthouse burned down in 1880, destroying all the county records.1880-1885 temporary courthouse
Architect C.S. Jones and builder J. K. Finely erected the $1550 a temporary courthouse in 1880, pending the construction of a permanent structure. Its two rooms contained a fireproof vault, with one room being for county administrative personnel, and the second room for the legal and law enforcement personnel.1885-1892 courthouse
A new courthouse was erected in 1885, designed by architect Alfred GilesAlfred Giles (architect)
Alfred Giles was a British architect who emigrated to Texas in the 19th Century. Many of the private homes and public buildings designed by Giles are on the National Register of Historic Places and have been designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. A number of his designs can be found in San...
, who also designed the Brooks County Courthouse
Brooks County Courthouse (Texas)
Brooks County Courthouse is located in Falfurrias, in the U.S. state of Texas. The structure was designed by Alfred Giles in 1914 in the Classic revival style. Prior to the erection of the brick county courthouse, local government housed itself in rented space. The courthouse was named a Recorded...
, Fredericksburg Memorial Library
Fredericksburg Memorial Library (Texas)
The Fredericksburg Memorial Library, also known as the Pioneer Memorial Library or the Old Courthouse, is located at 115 W. Main Street, Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas...
, Kendall County Courthouse
Kendall County Courthouse and Jail (Texas)
The limestone Kendall County Courthouse and Jail are located in Boerne, in the U.S. state of Texas. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1970....
, Live Oak County Courthouse
Live Oak County Courthouse (Texas)
Live Oak County Courthouse is located in George West, in the U.S. state of Texas. Designed by architect Alfred Giles in 1919 in the Classic revival style, this is the last courthouse Giles designed...
, Presidio County Courthouse
Presidio County Courthouse
The Presidio County Courthouse is located in Marfa in the U.S. state of Texas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964.-Design:...
, Wilson County Courthouse
Wilson County Courthouse and Jail (Floresville, Texas)
The Wilson County Courthouse and Jail are located in Floresville, Texas. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas in 1978 and as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984....
, as well as courthouses in the counties of Goliad and Kerr
Kerr County, Texas
Kerr County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 49,625. Its county seat is Kerrville. Kerr County was named by Joshua D. Brown for his fellow Kentucky native, James Kerr, a congressman of the Republic of Texas...
The structure mirrored exactly the 1882 Gillespie County courthouse, and was temporarily rented for church services. This structure burned down January 22, 1892. County records were saved. Remains of the building were sold.
1893-present courthouse
The current two-story courthouse was designed in a Romanesque Revival style by A.O. Watson and Jacob Larmour. Watson also designed the DeWitt CountyDeWitt County, Texas
DeWitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 20,013. DeWitt County is named for Green DeWitt, who founded an early colony in Texas. The seat of the county is Cuero. It was founded in 1846.-Geography:...
courthouse. The firm of J. A. and G. H. Wilson of Sulphur Springs, Texas, was awarded the contract for a brick building trimmed with granite, at a cost of $47,000.
Construction of the present-day courthouse was completed on August 1, 1893. A foundation of granite supports the marble and granite columns, with a brick and stone exterior. F. Heierman and Bros. of Austin manufactured the interior iron stairway treads. Ornamental newels and balusters are of wood. The tower with colonnades and cupola was placed in the southwest corner, accessible only on the south and west. The roof of each corner pavilion section is pyramidal, with the main section truncated pyramid. A clock was added to the tower at a later date.
Llano County Jail
The Llano County Jail was designed by F.W. and W.S. Hull, and built in 1895 by the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St Louis, Missouri. Gray granite used to build the jail was quarried from within Llano county. The jail, which was also built in a Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style, has been known as "Red Top" for its red roof. The first floor was used by the sheriff and his family for his office and the family living quarters. The second floor had four cells and two drunk tanks. The third and fourth floors housed the gallows.