This old Calaboose was constructed between 1905 and 1925, shortly after the town’s incorporation in 1901. It is a small hip-roofed, single-room building that was used for temporary holding of disorderly local drunks or other individuals involved in minor disturbances. Any prisoners facing serious charges or long-term sentences were quickly transferred to the county seat in Linden.
While many small towns in Alabama once had these temporary holding cells, very few remain today, and the Thomaston structure is particularly noted for its specific architectural style. It is a rare surviving example of early 20th-century “crib” construction. The walls of this tiny building are constructed from stacked 2×4 boards (cribbing), where the wood is laid flat and spiked together to create thick, solid walls that are nearly impossible to break through or saw out of. This small holding cell has one door and two small windows. The door is made of nail-studded stacked boards, and the small windows are fitted with heavy iron bars.
The Calaboose is a contributing property to the Thomaston Central Historic District which was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on September 14, 2000.
This old calaboose is located in Thomaston one block south of Highway 28 on First Avenue (GPS coordinates 32.265848, -87.623607).
Source: NRHP “Thomaston Central Historic District” Nomination Form