Smith County Jail, 1881
historic place
In Tyler, Texas, the Smith County Jail was completed in 1881. This building served as the county's fourth jail. Houston architect Eugene T. Heiner and builder Henry Kane designed the structure between 1880 and 1881. The jail features classical Italianate style, with a stucco finish scored to resemble cut stone. In 1894, a second-story addition doubled its cell space. The building functioned as a jail until 1916. It then housed the Lewis Hotel until 1986. A historical marker, erected in 1993 by the Texas Historical Commission, identifies this site. This 1881 Smith County Jail is a significant example of late 19th-century governmental architecture in Smith County.