The Hammond House was originally built in 1876 to be a courthouse and jail. In 1870, by an act of the State Legislature, the county seat of Robertson County was moved to Calvert, Texas. This was the fourth county seat, and, perhaps in hopes of making Calvert the last, the Commissioners began to build a beautiful and impressive jail and had plans for a courthouse nearby. However, in 1879, the county seat was again moved to Franklin, this time as the result of a vote in a local election. The courthouse in Calvert was never built, but the jail, now known as the Hammond House, stands today.

This unique building became a hotel and then a private residence after the county seat was moved to Franklin in 1879. The Hammond family bought the house in 1909 and heirs sold the house to the city who deeded it to the Historical Society who eventually returned the deed to a family member who is completing restoration for interested occupants.