Anderson County Jail
.jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Anderson County Jail is a three-story brick and cast concrete building at 704 Avenue A in Palestine, Texas, completed in 1931. It stands on a corner lot in the original town site, diagonally from the county courthouse. County commissioners ordered a new jail after deciding the 1879-1880 brick jail was unsafe and inadequate, with a budget capped at $60,000. Local architect Theo S. Maffitt designed it, and Campbell and White of Tyler built it. The design uses Art Deco forms, including a stepped parapet, zigzag and chevron door surrounds, and stepped pilasters, with the most prominent ornament on the entrance porch. It is considered a rare example of the style in Palestine and has changed little on the exterior. The jail served as the main county lockup until the mid-1980s, sat largely unused for a time, and was converted to a juvenile detention center in 1992.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a rare example of the Art Deco style in Palestine. Its stepped parapet, zigzag and chevron door surrounds and stylized pilasters illustrate the style. It also retains a high degree of integrity and symbolizes local government and law enforcement.
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 98000692, listed June 11, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 704 Avenue A., Palestine |
|---|---|
| County | Anderson County |
| Listed | June 11, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000692 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1931 |
| Architect / builder | Maffitt, Theo S. (architect); Campbell & White (builder) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently serves as the county's juvenile detention center after conversion in the early 1990s; exterior survives with few alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.76423, -95.62690 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 98000692.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107321087
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.