Jail Museum

Went to the Home and Garden Show on Saturday. It's always fun to see all the products. The best thing we saw this time was the container homes. Pretty cool!

Jeff and I went to Lockhart on Sunday. We had lunch at Black's for the first time. Yummy! Then we went to the nearby Caldwell County Jail Museum, which was really interesting.

The jail has beautiful architecture and is on the same plot as the old county jail. It was used from the the early 1900's until the 1980's.

The sheriff's family lived on the first floor, where they now have various exhibits of Caldwell County historical items, including some related to the jail itself. The top three stories of the building were jail cells. A big metal door opens to the stairway and as one teenager kept saying over and over, "It is CREEPY."

The cells are pretty much untouched since the jail closed, with peeling paint, original plumbing and old graffiti. I really like when historical places remain more untouched, rather than when they've torn something down and reconstructed it, or even rejuvenated it. The natural state gives you a feeling of authenticity.

You can walk through the cells. It's very immersive and informal. The very top floor is just a single cell that we called the white collar crime penthouse cell. It is the biggest, in its own room with its own shower, bathroom, etc. Barred windows, but the best view of the town!

Be sure and listen to the docent's short talk. It is very informative!