Coke County Jail
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 at the edge of Robert Lee, Texas, the Coke County Jail is a two-story, T-shaped building that housed the sheriff's family on the ground floor and prisoners in steel cells upstairs. The county paid about $7,500 for it, and the commissioners called it a structure of beauty and workmanship. Southern Structural Steel Company of San Antonio poured the walls entirely in concrete, finished on the outside to resemble stone blocks, whereas most jails of the period used brick or quarried stone. Inside are seven cells fitted with inventions patented in 1902 by company founder David Youngblood: interlocking bar window grating, hammock hooks and a lever locking mechanism. The jail stayed in continuous use until 1972-73, then served as a library and museum. Its exterior looks much as it did originally. It is recognized for its architecture, its role in jail technology, and its place in Coke County government history.
Significance in brief: The jail was built entirely of poured-in-place concrete, unlike most contemporary Texas jails, which used brick or stone with concrete. It also contains several patented inventions by David Youngblood, founder of the builder, including interlocking bar grating, hammock supports and a lever locking mechanism. It is also tied to the history of Coke County government.
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 04001395, listed December 23, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6th at Chadbourne, Robert Lee |
|---|---|
| County | Coke County |
| Listed | December 23, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001395 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Southern Structural Steel Company of San Antonio, Texas |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Invention, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a jail until 1972-73, then as a library and museum; museum items were placed in storage in 2002-03 for preservation work. Current functions are listed as museum and work in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.89467, -100.48856 (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 04001395.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107330927
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.