Alabama Statistics

Markers: 817
..with maps 15
..with pictures 64

Newest Alabama Markers

Home arrow Alabama arrow Winston County arrow Houston, The Jail at AL336
Houston, The Jail at AL336 Print E-mail
Marker Image
Picture Courtesy of Jimmy Emerson

The Houston jail is the only surviving log jail in North Alabama. The jail, constructed around 1868 of hand hewn logs, replaced an earlier one destroyed by por-Union men in the county during the Civil War. The logs were covered on the inside by boards measuring over 2 inches thick and 12 to 14 inches wide. The boards were cut from native timber at the nearby Partridge Mill on the Sipsey River. Once secured, the boards were peppered with horseshoe nails made by a local blacksmith and placed close together to discourage prisoners from attempting jail breaks by sawing through timbers. The jail had two rooms. Sanitary facilities were small holes in the back wall. When the county seat moved to Double Springs following the formation of Cullman County, the old jail was abandoned. It served as a private residence as late as the 1960's. In 1975, the jail was donated to the people of Winston County by Marshall Alford and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Houston Historical Society began efforts to restore the jail in March 2006. They erected this marker on the 150th anniversay of the founding of Winston County.
Houston Historical Society/Alabama Historic Commission, 2006
Old Houston Jail lawn Winston County Alabama
Comments (0)add
Show/Hide comment formtoggle


Write the displayed characters

busy
 
< Prev   Next >