{"nrhp_refnum":"75001947","name":"Bastrop County Courthouse and Jail Complex","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Bounded by Pine, Walnut, Pecan, and Water Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bastrop","county":"Bastrop County","state":"TX","lat":30.11300465100004,"lon":-97.31573978399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-11-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A courthouse and an old jail on the courthouse square in Bastrop, Texas. The Neoclassical Revival courthouse was built in 1883-1884 and the Victorian jail in 1891-1892.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the courthouse is historically significant to the state because it represents the governmental organization of one of the first Anglo-American settlements in Texas, despite substantial alterations. The old jail is cited as both historically and architecturally important, a dignified and interesting Victorian building.","narrative":"Bastrop's courthouse square holds two county buildings from the late nineteenth century. The courthouse, built in 1883-1884 after fire destroyed its predecessor, is a three-story stuccoed brick Neoclassical Revival building with a copper-domed clock tower. It was designed by J. W. Preston and Sons, with plans reviewed by F. E. Ruffini, and cost $33,000. A 1924 modernization lowered the dome and removed many decorative details, and a wing was added in 1953-1954. Beside it stands the three-story tan and red brick Old Bastrop County Jail, built in 1891-1892 by Martin, Byrnes, and Johnston, with contrasting red brick pilasters and stilted arches, and remodeled in 1925. The courthouse remains in use, while the jail has been vacant since a newer public safety building opened. The complex was listed because the courthouse reflects the governmental organization of an early Anglo-American settlement in Texas, and the jail is a well-preserved Victorian building.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"J. W. Preston and Sons (courthouse, reviewed by F. E. Ruffini; builder John McDonald); Martin, Byrnes, and Johnston (jail)","architectural_style":"Neoclassical Revival (courthouse); Victorian (jail)","criteria":[],"status_note":"The courthouse is still in use as a courthouse. The old jail is described as unoccupied and vacant since a new public safety building was built, and the county offered it to the county historical commission as a meeting place and possible museum.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.729474-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/11/9681/40968111/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/75001947.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001947/0ddb678f04-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001947/0ddb678f04-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bastrop_old_jail_2010.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bastrop_old_jail_2010.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40968111","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastrop_County_Courthouse_and_Jail_Complex","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4868373"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bastrop-county/bastrop-county-courthouse-and-jail-complex-75001947/"}