Old Kent County Jail

Built from local red sandstone, the Old Kent County Jail is one of the last buildings left standing in the West Texas ghost town of Clairemont. It was originally built in 1894 and the plaque out front says it held horse thieves, cattle rustlers, and moonshiners, and no one ever broke out. After the county seat moved to Jayton, the town emptied out and slowly became a ghost town. Since the jail sits all alone it is the perfect spot to shoot the two storey stone block building against the big West Texas sky. Low sun, either early or late in the day, warms the red sandstone and picks up the rough texture in the walls. The building is completely abandoned and open to explore. The old iron cells are still inside if you want to experiment with capturing the interior. Just across the road sits the remains of the old courthouse after it burned down a few years ago and only its ground floor remains. Both of these ruins are easily accessible along Highway 208, and you will usually have them both all to yourself so you'll have lots of time and space to experiment with various compositions. (Clairemont, Texas, USA)