Mark in Texas History: Downtown Jefferson building holds 175 years of Texas history

JEFFERSON, Texas (KLTV) - A 175-year-old building in downtown Jefferson has stood through slavery, the Civil War, two World Wars and Prohibition — and now operates as a hotel and living museum.

The Jefferson Palace Hotel, located at 124 West Austin Street, contains a hidden staircase that once served as an entrance to a speakeasy during Prohibition in the 1920s.

Owner Jeromy Jones and his wife restored the first floor to its Victorian roots and converted the second floor into a living museum where guests can stay overnight.

The hotel also features a nautical room based on the steamboat travel that brought visitors to Jefferson in the mid-1800s.

“We have thousands of years of history if you were to add all of these pieces up together, and so if you take the hotel, it’s just part of our collection,” Jones said.

Jones said he hopes to pass the business down to his children one day.