The historic Archer County Jail building is on the market in west Texas.
Photo: Bishop Realtor Group
The historic Archer County Jail building list price starts at just $5K
Most people typically avoid facing jail time, others bid on it.
The historic Archer County Jail is on the market in Archer City, Texas, and interested buyers are invited to survey the property, which will be selling at a minimum of $5,000.
Built in 1910, the sandstone building served as a prison until 1974. At that time, inmates were moved to a larger facility. According to some sources, the sheriff's family lived on the first floor of the property, even while it operated as a penal institution. Most recently, it served as a history museum that closed sometime in 2017.
Those who are seriously considering buying the property should fill out a “survey of intent” and submit it before Jan. 28, but even a high offer might not secure the deal. That's because the jail building has a Texas Historical Commission designation, and the local commissioners want to ensure that its future resident or owner will rehabilitate the structure and restore its museum-quality artifacts.
What's for sure is that it won't sell below $5,000 but could go for well above that. The north Texas town — which rose to prominence as the home of “Lonesome Dove” author Larry McMurtry — is prioritizing preservation over price tag.
Lead commissioner Randy Jackson told KFDX that they have “the right to refuse any and all bids, so we don’t want someone that’s gonna come in here and try to scrape the goods out of here and leave a shell. We hope that we have a buyer that comes in that has the intent to restore it and for everything to remain right here.”