Carbon City Jail

During a jailbreak, Carbon’s 1905 jail was destroyed, resulting in the need for a more substantial calaboose. Built in 1921, this unadorned square plan building is composed of reinforced concrete walls and a steel door. The structure had no lights or heat, and was intended as temporary holding until prisoners were transferred to other cities. The building often stood vacant, and during WWII it was used for occasional scrap drive collections. Local brides and grooms were sometimes locked up on their wedding nights. Today the jail is a rare surviving example of a once-common building type in Texas towns.

Carbon City Jail is a historical marker in Carbon, Eastland County, dedicated in 2013. It is one of 46 historical markers documented in Eastland County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 60 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.2713, -98.8280 near Carbon. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Baptist Church in Carbon (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Long Branch Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, and Kokomo School.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017695. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.