Austin County Jail
36 S. Bell St., Bellville, TXFortress-like in appearance, the Austin County Jail in Bellville, fashioned in the Romanesque Revival style, clearly suggests the use it has served for more than 80 years. Castellated facades such as those of this building were popular for important public buildings of the late 19th century as a symbol of strength and endurance. Built on land originally granted to settlers in Stephen F. Austin's "old 300" group, the structure is the second facility to serve this county which was one of the earliest areas of Anglo settlement in Texas. Builder/Architect F. B. and W. S. Hull, Dallas, 1896
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.