Heritage, 2010, Volume 1 Page: 25
31 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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community has lost many
buildings that defined the
city and provided the back-
drop to the state Capitol.At left: The Austin Woman's
Club, photograph courtesy of
Tenaya Hills.+Old Llano County (Red Vr
Top) Jail, 400 E. Oatman
Street, Llano, Llano County
The Old Llano County Jail
was constructed in 1895 and
is affectionately known as
"Red Top."
The four-story granite jail
was built by the J. Pauly Jail
Building and Manufacturing
Co. of St. Louis, which con-
structed many jails through-
out the U.S. The granite
exterior was quarried locally,
and the iron bars for the cells
and windows were transport- -
ed by rail from St. Louis and
assembled on site. The cen-
tral tower housed the gal-
lows. In 1982, the jail was
condemned, and in 2002 the
county built a new jailhouse.
The City of Llano purchased
the jail from the county in
2005.
The jail suffers from poor
drainage, and the settling of
the foundation has created
large cracks in the walls. The
east and west gables are fall-
ing away from the central tower. Many of
the windows are in disrepair, which allows
rain and animals to enter. A nonprofit
organization, the Friends of the Llano Red
Top Jail, was formed to assist the City with
the preservation of the jail. As many local
governments opt for demolition to encour-
age new development, it is encouraging to
see the community and the city partnering
to preserve this historic building. However,
the financial need is great, and the mainte-
nance of this massive granite building is a
huge burden for any community.
+San Jacinto Battleground State Historic
Site, 3523 Independence Parkway, La
Porte, Harris County
The San Jacinto Battleground State
Historic site preserves the landscape on
which the Battle of San Jacinto was fought
between the Texas army under the com-
mand of Sam Houston and a division of
the Mexican army led by Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna on April 20-21, 1836. TheState of Texas acquired the initial acreage
in several transactions in the late 1800s
and early 1900s to create the first state
park. Since then, additional acreage was
donated or acquired. In 1936-1939, the
San Jacinto Monument and reflection pool
were constructed on the site, and a berth
was created for the Battleship Texas in 1948
on the portion of the site that is thought to
be the location of the Texas army camp.
115 acres of the battlefield were lost with
the dredging of the Houston Ship Channel
in the 1960s and 1970s, and a levee was
constructed on the north boundary of the
park in the 1970s.
Most of the battleground is preserved
within the boundaries of the state historic
site. The threat comes from external influ-
ences, as well as construction projects on
the battlefield. A master plan was adopted
in 1998, and it marked an initial organized
effort to preserve the battlefield. Since
then, a holistic approach to the future of
the site has not been the focus, and new
construction projects will compromise the
HE RITAGE Volume 1 2010--%", -site and lead to further loss
of this historic landscape.
Without a comprehensive
preservation plan, the future
of the San Jacinto Battle-
ground State Historic Site is
unknown.
Fo Swenson Swimming Pool
and Bathhouse, Swenson
v r- . Park Road, Spur, Dickens
- County
In 1936, Erick P. Swenson
f of Spur Ranch donated land
to the City of Spur for the
purpose of a park. As the
county was experiencing
devastating loss due to the
Depression and the drought,
the City and the Works
Progress Administration
partnered to establish a
. place for social interaction
and recreation for the chil-
dren of the surrounding
rural communities. Many of
the workers were from agri-
cultural areas and were
trained on site. The bath-
house was constructed with
local stone and petrified wood in 1937.
The pool was the only recreational area for
miles and provided a welcome reprieve
from the heat and hard labor that was cus-
tomary to the ranch farm families during
the summer.
The swimming pool complex was closed
in June 2009 when workers were preparing
for the summer opening. The bathhouse is
in fair condition, and the roof was repaired
in 2008 after a storm. However, the con-
crete pool is in danger of complete collapse
due to leaks and erosion. The cost of
replacing the leaking pipes and backfilling
the void beneath the pool is the same as
the cost of replacing the pool. In an iso-
lated rural town, the pool and bathhouse
continue to serve as one of the only recre-
ational and social venues for the youth of
Spur and surrounding communities. It is
the hope of local preservationists that the
swimming pool and bathhouse are reha-
bilitated, and the complex is re-opened for
public use.
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2010, Volume 1, periodical, 2010; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254216/m1/25/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.