Photo courtesy of the Hays County Historical Commission
The roof of the historic Old Hays County Jail, on Fredericksburg Street in San Marcos, has been removed as a first step in a forthcoming restoration by the Hays County Historical Commission. Constructed in 1884, the limestone Italianate-style building served as the county jail until 1936. In 1915, it was the site of the only legal hanging in Hays County when Benjamin Guerrero reputedly puffed on a cigar and said to the assembled crowd, “Fine show, no?” Located in the Dunbar Historical District next door to the Calaboose African American History Museum, the project is being designed by architectural firm Clayton Levy Little with Richard Gift as general contractor.
