About

Maintained by the Pioneer Museum, the Jail of 1885 in Fredericksburg is quite the spectacle to see. With it being the fourth location for the Gillespie County lawbreakers, this jail is a simple two-story stone structure on the outside. And on the inside, it’s rich in history that is both a bit alluring and scary.

Established in 1848, Gillespie County built its first jail in 1852. Shortly after, a second one was built in 1859. But because these two were not adequate enough to meet the town's needs as it grew a third jail was constructed in 1870. Unfortunately, it caught fire and burned down, so the fourth jail, which is referred to as the Jail of 1885 or Historic Jail, was built.

On specific days you can tour the jail and get a glimpse of the inside. Once inside, you’ll see a holding area (small compared to these days) and very simple living quarters for the Warden and his family.

Upstairs, you’ll see two steel-clad cells, which are quite impressive sights. These two jail cells are located against the far east wall. You’ll also see several cells in the center of the space and at the back, which were considered the “max” security options.

This jail was continuously used from 1885 through 1939 as a county facility and, over the years, collected quite a reputation.

If you get a chance to jump off the beaten path of Fredericksburg Main Street, be sure to make some time to visit. This historical spot offers a sobering look at the time that passed.

Jail of 1885: Fun Facts

The jail itself is 25 feet wide by 35 feet deep and 20 to 22 feet high across two stories. Though that may be quite small in today’s time, it was considered a good size for the small town at that time.

Built all around the jail is a five-foot stone wall with embedded broken pieces of glass sticking outward. This was done to discourage anyone from having any notion of trying to leave the jail by scaling the wall.

The first floor of the old jail was mostly used as a lockup cell, a location for incoming people to be placed until they could decide what to do with them next. Over the years, this space became the female jail cell, where any woman brought in for questioning was placed.

In August of 1939, the final inmate at the jail was moved to the fifth jail to be built in the county, set up at the county courthouse, improving the overall convenience of locking up prisoners.

In 1980, the Jail of 1885 became a Recorded Text Historic Landmark, which helped to preserve it and prevented the removal of the building for any reason. While quite simple in its design, it has an impressive history that some people say they “feel” when they walk into the space.

Local Tips

Located between the Nagel and the Haus memorial, the jail is right across the street from the Golupski County Courthouse.
It can be hard to get a tour during the warmer and tourism-centric parts of the year. Arrive early to make sure you get a chance to explore the area.
This is part of the Haunted Fredericksburg Ghost Walk, so if you prefer a nighttime look inside, make sure to join the tour.
The inside is a bit tricky to navigate, so if you don’t like dark spaces or are fearful of being in basements and tight areas, this can be a bit of a fright-inducing experience.

Staging environment