MuseumThe Old Jail Art Center
Albany · Shackelford County · Dedicated 1980 · THC Atlas #4200001383
Texas history, up close and curated.
About this site
The Old Jail Art Center is a museum in Albany, Shackelford County, dedicated in 1980. It is one of 2 museums documented in Shackelford County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 57 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 32.7232, -99.2948 near Albany. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Christian Church (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Rye-Caperton House, Shackelford County's First Permanent Jail, and Lt. Col. William E. Dyess.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #4200001383. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
History
The Old Jail Art Center is housed in Shackelford County's first permanent public building, a limestone jail designed by John Thomas and completed in 1878; Scottish stonemasons carved their initials into its blocks, earning it the nickname 'the alphabet jail.' Saved from demolition in 1940 by playwright Robert E. Nail Jr., the building became the Old Jail Art Center in 1980, founded by his nephew Reilly Nail and artist Bill Bomar. Its accredited permanent collection of more than 2,200 works includes pieces by Picasso, Modigliani, Calder, and Grant Wood.
Sources: en.wikipedia.orgtshaonline.org
