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Texas: East, North Central, Panhandle and South Plains and West » North Central Texas » Stamford to Ballinger » Buffalo Gap (Taylor County) » Old Taylor County Courthouse and Jail

Old Taylor County Courthouse and Jail

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1880, Martin, Byrne and Johnston. William St. between North and Elm sts.

Buffalo Gap, so named for its location in a pass through which bison once passed, was the seat of Taylor County from 1878 to 1883, when the seat moved to Abilene. This two-story, hipped-roof combination courthouse and jail of local sandstone was Taylor County’s first public building. The thick, load-bearing rock-faced stone walls are interspersed with concealed cannon balls to deter escape by making it hard to scrape out mortar joints and loosen stones. Narrow gun ports alternate with windows on the second floor, a reminder of unsettled times when defense against rowdy lynch mobs (Indians being out of the picture by then) was a real concern. Surrounding the courthouse is the Buffalo Gap Historic Village, an outdoor museum of over a dozen buildings relocated from around the state.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Gerald Moorhead et al.
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Data

Citation

Gerald Moorhead et al., "Old Taylor County Courthouse and Jail", [Buffalo Gap, Texas], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/TX-02-SB38.

Print Source

Buildings of Texas

Buildings of Texas: East, North Central, Panhandle and South Plains, and West, Gerald Moorhead and contributors. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2019, 312-312.

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