Houston Jail, Gefängnis in den Vereinigten Staaten
The Houston Jail is a prison building made of large logs built around 1868 in Houston, Alabama. The structure measures about 20 feet square, has a steep gabled roof, and is divided internally by a wall made of interlocking logs, with floors and ceilings built from carefully fitted wooden beams.
The building was constructed around 1868 after Houston was made the county seat and needed a courthouse. The jail served the community until 1884 when Double Springs took over as county seat and Houston became a smaller town.
The jail was an important part of daily life in Houston and shows how small communities managed their local affairs. The simple construction from logs reflects the practical needs of a rural community in the late 1800s.
The jail is the only one of its kind in Alabama and sits in a quiet part of town near US Highway 278. Visitors can walk by and view the old construction, with guided tours sometimes available offering insights into the cell structure and local history.
The building is the only log jail that survives in Alabama and was built with large interlocking beams joined at corners with half notched joints. The original windows had mesh grating bars and the doors were made from several layers of thick planks laid at an angle to ensure security.
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