The Black Bull

On the bank of Nolan Creek, the building at 108 W Central was built in the 1890's from Austin Stone --a heavily fossilized limestone found in the area.  Some of the blocks weigh in the neighborhood of 400 pounds.  The old stone buildings have two walls--exterior and interior with an air gap between.  The exterior walls show off the beautiful big square limestone blocks.  The interior walls typically had a layer of stucco to prevent deterioration.  Built as stone on stone, the sand and lime of the original mortar deteriorate over time.   It was  adjacent to the Bell County Jail built in 1886 and replaced in 1957.  On the north side of the building was a wagon yard.