Bronwood Calaboose
Why it's listed
Bronwood's calaboose is a small wooden jail built around 1900 on First Street in Terrell County, Georgia. The one-story, gable-roofed building measures 16 by 9 feet and rests on soft brick piers. Its heavy sawn timber frame is covered in weatherboard, and the roof is corrugated metal. Two plank doors, fastened with cut and crimped nails, open into two identical rough-plank cells, each with one small barred window in a gable end. The jail was used until 1954 as a holding facility where the local marshal kept prisoners overnight until they could be taken to the county jail. It was listed for its architecture and its role in local law enforcement. It is a rare, intact example of a modest wooden municipal jail, a building type once found in many small Georgia towns, in contrast to the larger brick county jails. It is also the only remaining evidence of Bronwood's historic municipal law enforcement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the calaboose is a rare, intact example of a turn-of-the-century wooden municipal jail, unlike the larger brick county jails common in Georgia. It is also the only remaining evidence of historic municipal law enforcement in Bronwood, where it served as an overnight holding jail until 1954.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82002483, listed June 22, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | GA 118, Bronwood |
|---|---|
| County | Terrell County |
| Listed | June 22, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002483 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Law, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied, in fair condition, unaltered and on its original site; the present use is given as storage. It is owned by the City of Bronwood. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 31.83200, -84.36272 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82002483.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q48838697
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.