Galveston Architecture: A Visual Journey

GA VESTON ARCHITECTURE
A VISUAL JOURNEY
PINO SHAH AND GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

CONTENTS ALPHABETICAL
Albert Rakel Houses 38
Ashton Villa, J. M. Brown House 11
Ball High School 92
Ball, Hutchings & Co. - John Sealy Office Buildings 54
Ben J. Kotin House 99
Caravageli House 91
Central Christian Church 113
Charles Clark House 59
Clarke & Courts Building 44
Cohen House 82
Cokins House 101
Commodore Motel 111
Congregation B’nai Israel Temple (Masonic Temple Building) 17
Conness House 57
Cotton Compress Workers, Inc. Building 95
Dell’Osso Shopping Street 104
Doctors Clinic Building 96
Eaton Chapel 26
Evans House 120
First Hutchings-Sealy National Bank Building 117
First Lutheran Church 1868, 1916 15
First National Bank Building (Galveston Arts Center) 25
First Presbyterian Church 21
Frederick William Beissner House 36
Galveston Bible Church 74
Galveston City Hall 72
Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad Freight Office 63
Galveston News Building 34
Galveston News Building 109
Galveston Opera House-Hotel Grand 51
Galveston Orphans Home (THE Bryan Museum) 61
Galveston Seawall and Grade Raising Monument 62
Garten Verein Dancing Pavilion 28
Grace Church 53
Gresham House (Bishop’s Palace) 48
Grilliette House 86
Guaranty Federal Savings & Loan Association Building (JSC Federal Credit Union) 119
Gymnasium and Auditorium, Gladneo Parker Elementary School 103
Heffron House 58
Heidenheimer & Co. Building 20
Helmbrecht House 77
Hendley Buildings 10
Heye House 30
H. M. Trueheart & Co. Building 31
Hotel Gálvez 68
Hunter Building 24
Hutchings House 12
Ikelheimer & Company Building (St. Germain Place) 56
Kaufmann & Runge Building (Stewart Title Building) 32
Kelso House 106
Kirwin High School (O’Connor Senior Campus) 88
Landes House 37
League House 50
Leon & H. Blum Building (Tremont Hotel) 27
Letitia Rosenberg Home for Aged Women 55
Line-up of Three Raised Cottages 6
Maceo House 89
Martini Theater 83
Medical Research Building 126
Mehos House 98
Menard House 1
Model Laundry & Dye Works Building 71
Moody House 112
Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church 107
Moody Memorial Medical Library 118
Moody National Bank Building 105
Moore, Stratton & Company Building 33
Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church 121
Muller House 35
One Moody Plaza 114
Panama Hotel 70
Pauls House 102
Quigg-Baulard Cottage 14
Randall House 78
Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church 41
Reiswerg House 90
Rosenberg Library 66
Ruhl House (Morris House) 19
Sacred Heart Catholic Church 64
Santa Fe Building 69
School of Allied Health Science and Nursing 125
Scottish Rite Cathedral 79
Sears Building (GHF) 87
S. M. Williams House 3
Sonnentheil House 39
Stephen F. Austin Junior High School 85
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church 8
St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica 4
St. Patrick Catholic Church (Holy Family Catholic Church) 23
Temple B’nai Israel 94
Texas A&M University - Kirkham Hall 116
The Open Gates, Sealy House 46
Trinity Church 7
Trube House 42
United States Custom House 80
United States Custom House, Post Office, and Court Room 13
United States Custom House, Post Office, and Court Room 84
United States National Bank Building 75
University of Texas Medical Department Building (Old Red) 45
Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church 60
West Point Missionary Baptist Church 73
William C. Levin Hall 123
Willis House (Moody Mansion and Museum) 52
Yen House 100
Zion Lutheran Church (Christ Chapel of Galveston) 76

CONTENTS YEAR
1838 Menard House 1
1839 S. M. Williams House 3
1848 St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica 4
1950 Line-up of Three Raised Cottages 6
1857 Trinity Church 7
1859 St. Joseph’s Catholic Church 8
1860 Hendley Buildings 10
1860 Ashton Villa, J. M. Brown House 11
1860 Hutchings House 12
1861 United States Custom House, Post Office, and Court Room 13
1860 Quigg-Baulard Cottage 14
1868 First Lutheran Church 1868, 1916 15
1871 Congregation B’nai Israel Temple (Masonic Temple Building) 17
1875 Ruhl House (Morris House) 19
1875 Heidenheimer & Co. Building 20
1876 First Presbyterian Church 21
1877 St. Patrick Catholic Church (Holy Family Catholic Church) 23
1879 Hunter Building 24
1878 First National Bank Building (Galveston Arts Center) 25
1879 Eaton Chapel 26
1879 Leon & H. Blum Building (Tremont Hotel) 27
1880 Garten Verein Dancing Pavilion 28
1880 Heye House 30
1882 H. M. Trueheart & Co. Building 31
1882 Kaufman & Runge Building (Stewart Title Building) 32
1882 Moore, Stratton & Company Building 33
1884 Galveston News Building 34
1885 Muller House 35
1886 Frederick William Beissner House 36
1887 Landes House 37
1887 Albert Rakel Houses 38
1887 Sonnentheil House 39
1888 Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church 41
1890 Trube House 42
1890 Clarke & Courts Building 44
1891 University of Texas Medical Department Building (Old Red) 45
1891 The Open Gates, Sealy House 46
1892 Gresham House (Bishop’s Palace) 48
1893 League House 50
1894 Galveston Opera House-Hotel Grand 51
1895 Willis House (Moody Mansion and Museum) 52
1895 Grace Church 53
1896 Ball, Hutchings & Co. - John Sealy Office Buildings 54
1896 Letitia Rosenberg Home for Aged Women 55
1898 Ikelheimer & Company Building (St. Germain Place) 56
1899 Conness House 57
1900 Heffron House 58
1900 Charles Clark House 59
1901 Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church 60
1902 Galveston Orphans Home (THE Bryan Museum) 61
1904 Galveston Seawall and Grade Raising Monument 62
1904 Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad Freight Office 63
1904 Sacred Heart Catholic Church 64
1904 Rosenberg Library 66
1911 Hotel Gálvez 68
1913 Santa Fe Building 69
1913 Panama Hotel 70
1913 Model Laundry & Dye Works Building 71
1916 Galveston City Hall 72
1921 West Point Missionary Baptist Church 73
1924 Galveston Bible Church 74
1925 United States National Bank Building 75
1926 Zion Lutheran Church (Christ Chapel of Galveston) 76
1928 Helmbrecht House 77
1929 Randall House 78
1929 Scottish Rite Cathedral 79
1933 United States Custom House 80
1937 Cohen House 82
1937 Martini Theater 83
1937 United States Custom House, Post Office, and Court Room 84
1939 Stephen F. Austin Junior High School 85
1939 Grilliette House 86
1940 Sears Building (GHF) 87
1942 Kirwin High School (O’Connor Senior Campus) 88
1950 Maceo House 89
1951 Reiswerg House 90
1953 Caravageli House 91
1954 Ball High School 92
1955 Temple B’nai Israel 94
1957 Cotton Compress Workers, Inc. Building 95
1957 Doctors Clinic Building 96
1958 Mehos House 98
1958 Ben J. Kotin House 99
1959 Yen House 100
1959 Cokins House 101
1960 Pauls House 102
1960 Gymnasium and Auditorium, Gladneo Parker Elementary School 103
1962 Dell’Osso Shopping Street 104
1962 Moody National Bank Building 105
1963 Kelso House 106
1964 Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church 107
1965 Galveston News Building 109
1966 Commodore Motel 111
1968 Moody House 112
1969 Central Christian Church 113
1971 One Moody Plaza 114
1971 Texas A&M University - Kirkham Hall 116
1972 First Hutchings-Sealy National Bank Building 117
1972 Moody Memorial Medical Library 118
1973 Guaranty Federal Savings & Loan Association Building (JSC Federal Credit Union) 119
1973 Evans House 120
1976 Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church 121
1983 William C. Levin Hall 123
1986 School of Allied Health Science and Nursing 125
1991 Medical Research Building 126

1838 MENARD HOUSE
1605 33RD STREET
The Michel B. Menard House, built in 1838, is the oldest building in Galveston.
Menard was a native of Quebec, Canada.
After moving to Texas in the 1820s, he organized the Galveston City Company
to develop the city of Galveston. Menard was one of several early city leaders
who built houses on the city’s western outreaches. His house is noted for its
Greek Revival design with fluted Ionic columns and large front porches called
double verandas. During construction, he sold the property to fellow investor
Augustus Allen, but reacquired the house around 1845. He later expanded the
house with two flanking wings.
After Menard’s death in 1856, the Ketchum family lived in the house for
several generations. In 1994, preservationists Fred and Pat Burns partnered
with Galveston Historical Foundation to repair the house, which had fallen into
very poor condition. The foundation continues to open the Menard House for
tours and special events.
1

1838 MENARD HOUSE
2

1848 ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL BASILICA
1848 - T. E. GIRAUD, 1878, 1900 - N. J. CLAYTON
2011 CHURCH STREET
St. Mary’s Cathedral, built 1847-48, is one of Texas’ most important early
works of architecture. The design is representative of American Gothic Revival
churches, which were popular during the 1840s. The church’s architect, Theodore
E. Giraud, was born in Charleston, South Carolina and trained in Paris. Giraud
was hired by the Catholic diocese, which was then under the leadership of
Bishop John M. Odin.
Half a million bricks were shipped to Galveston from Antwerp, Belgium as a gift
to the church, and Giraud used the bricks in his design.
The church was updated several times during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Nicholas J. Clayton served as architect for several of the projects. Most notably,
between 1874 and 1878, the church added a statue of the Blessed Virgin
Mary to the roof. St. Mary’s continues to offer church services. In 1979 it was
recognized as a basilica.
4

1848 ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL BASILICA
5

1859 ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
1859 - JOSEPH BLEICKE, BUILDER, 1901 - N. J. CLAYTON
2202 AVENUE K
St. Joseph’s, constructed in 1859, is the oldest wooden church in Galveston.
The building is typical of common (as opposed to grand or monumental) Texas
churches of the mid nineteenth century.
The most characteristic exterior feature is the central, steeple-topped tower
over the main entrance. On the interior, the church has decoratively-painted
wood walls and a coffered ceiling. The building retains its original cedar pews,
hand-carved altars, and plaster stations of the cross with German inscriptions.
The 1900 Galveston Hurricane destroyed sections of the church, but the parish
organized repairs under the direction of Nicholas Clayton. As part of the project,
Clayton created a new sanctuary to the back of the church.
In 1968, Galveston Historical Foundation leased St. Joseph’s from the Diocese
of Galveston-Houston. After completing repairs, the foundation began opening
the church for special events.
8

1859 ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
9

1860 ASHTON VILLA, J. M. BROWN HOUSE
2328 BROADWAY
Galveston is well-known for the large mansions that line Broadway, the city’s
busiest street. The 1859 Ashton Villa is the oldest of these mansions.
Rather than building his house on the outskirts of town, as Michel Menard and
S.M. Williams had done several years before, hardware merchant James M.
Brown chose to build his house in a much more visible location. The result is
an example of the Italianate villa style popular during the 1840s and 1850s.
When Ashton Villa was completed, it was the grandest and most up-to-date
house in all of Texas. Brown’s descendants, most notably his socially-active and
community-spirited daughter Bettie, lived in the house until 1927.
In 1970, the City of Galveston partnered with Galveston Historical Foundation
and the Park Board of Trustees to purchase the property. Since completing
the repairs in 1974, GHF continues to open Ashton Villa for public tours and
special events.
11

1877 ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH (HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH)
1877 - CLAYTON & LYNCH, 1902 - N. J. CLAYTON
1013-1027 34TH STREET
Construction of St. Patrick’s began in 1872. Two years later, Nicholas Clayton
began his contributions to the project by producing a design for the body of
the church. Clayton’s involvement was logical given that he was a member of
the St. Patrick’s parish.
The building was completed in 1877, but the interior decoration was not finished
until the mid-1880s. Clayton returned to the project in 1899 to design the
225-foot-high Menard Memorial Tower. Unfortunately, the tower collapsed onto
the church during the 1900 Hurricane, crushing the roof and portions of the walls.
Clayton directed the building’s post-storm reconstruction, which included a
120-foot-high tower finished in 1922, six years after Clayton’s death. The textured
stucco that now covers the building was a later addition. The beautiful brickwork
of Clayton’s original design is now obscured.
23

1878 FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING (GALVESTON ARTS CENTER)
2127 STRAND
The entire south side of the 2100 block of Strand was reconstructed following
a devastating fire that occurred on June 8, 1877. At the western corner of the
block, the First National Bank, Texas’s oldest chartered bank, built this American
High Victorian building in 1878.
The Corinthian columns on the Strand front of the building emphasize the
building’s importance. The architect of the building is unknown, but similarities
to the work of Nathaniel Tobey, Jr. indicate him as the most likely candidate. In
1958, the First National Bank merged with the Hutchings-Sealy National Bank
and vacated this building. A decade later, the Junior League of Galveston
purchased it and converted it for use as the Galveston Arts Center.
After extensive repairs following Hurricane Ike of 2008, the building continues
to house exhibitions and educational services.
25

1880 GARTEN VEREIN DANCING PAVILION
1880, 1911
2704 AVENUE O, KEMPNER PARK
In 1876, a German social club called the Galveston Garten-Verein purchased the
five-acre estate of Robert Mills, who had been Texas’ leading financier before
the Panic of 1873 brought about his bankruptcy.
The group adapted the Mills House for use as its clubhouse, erected a bowling
alley, and landscaped the grounds as a park. In 1880, they added the tiered,
octagonal dancing pavilion that remains standing. The architect for the building
is undetermined, but it’s German-influenced architectural details indicate that a
German-American likely supplied the design.
The Galveston Garten-Verein dissolved during World War I, at a time when the
celebration of German culture was not a popular sentiment.
In 1923, insurance executive Stanley E. Kempner bought the property and
transferred it to the City of Galveston for use as a public park. The Dancing
Pavilion, now the most visible remaining feature from the Garten-Verein period,
is open for special events under the management of Galveston Historical
Foundation.
28

1882 H. M. TRUEHEART & CO. BUILDING
N. J. CLAYTON
212 22ND STREET
This High Victorian building, designed by Nicholas Clayton and constructed in
1882, served as offices for the real estate company owned by Virginia native
and former Confederate officer Henry Martyn Trueheart.
The design displays Clayton’s skill at composition and detail. Within the symmetric
front facade, sunken panels and bands of multicolored brick and tile give the
building a lively appearance. In a review published just after the building’s
construction, the Galveston Daily News characterized it as influenced by the
architecture of central Italy.
The Junior League of Galveston, which preserved the First National Building
next door, also purchased the Trueheart & Company Building in 1969. Since
completing a rehabilitation in 1971, the Junior League has maintained offices
in the building.
31

1884 GALVESTON NEWS BUILDING
N. J. CLAYTON
2108 MECHANIC STREET
Nicholas Clayton designed the Galveston News Building in 1884 and the
building is considered to be one of his masterpieces.
Built to house the offices and production facilities of the Galveston Daily News,
then the most widely read newspaper in Texas, the building features press brick
and cast stone affixed to a tall, three-story, iron-frame. Clayton displayed his
talent through his manner of incorporating the building’s decorative elements
into its fabric.
In 1963, the Houston Post purchased the Galveston Daily News. The Post then
built a new facility on the outskirts of the city to house the operations of the
Daily News. Afterwards, the Galveston News Building on Mechanic Street
became a warehouse.
In 1970, Clayton’s front facade of the building was covered with cement panels.
Owners John and Judy Saracco has the panels removed in 1995 to restore the
building to its earlier appearance.
34

1891 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL DEPARTMENT BUILDING (OLD RED)
N. J. CLAYTON & CO.
902-928 STRAND
This building, which is where the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
began, was built in 1891 as the “University of Texas Medical Department
Building.” Now, its official name is “Ashbel Smith Hall,” honoring an early Texas
physician and diplomat. Most people, however, know the building as “Old Red”
due to the vibrant color of its masonry.
Architect Nicholas Clayton displayed his knack for using contour, shape, and
texture to create interesting visual effects. The 1900 Hurricane destroyed an
original tall, tiered pavilion roof and Clayton designed a new roof installed in
1901. In 1965, UTMB created a long-term plan to demolition the building and
began to relocate university functions to other facilities on campus.
After years of preservation efforts from alumni and faculty, assisted by Galveston
Historical Foundation, the University of Texas system decided to keep Old Red.
Currently, UTMB is developing a medical museum to be housed in the building.
45

1892 GRESHAM HOUSE (BISHOP’S PALACE)
N. J. CLAYTON & CO.
1402 BROADWAY
Bishop’s Palace, also known as the Walter
Gresham House, is Galveston’s most famous
building.
Walter Gresham was a prominent lawyer,
politician, and railroad investor. He hired
Nicholas Clayton to design this house and
construction lasted from 1887 until 1892. The
cost was reported as $125,000—an enormous
figure given that the average cost for twostory
houses for middle-class families during
this era was around $2,000.
The house features rich colors and textures
and sculpturally interesting roof shapes,
towers, and chimneys. Of all the mansions
constructed along Broadway, Gresham’s
house was the highlight.
In 1923, the Catholic Diocese of Galveston
bought the house to use as the residence
of Bishop Christopher Byrne. After Byrne’s
death, the diocese operated the house as a
museum.
In 2013, Galveston Historical Foundation
purchased Bishop’s Palace. The house
continues to serve as a popular destination
for Galveston’s residents and visitors.
48

1892 GRESHAM HOUSE (BISHOP’S PALACE)
49

1955 TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL
BEN J. KOTIN
3006 AVENUE O
In 1955, the Congregation B’nai Israel Temple left its original temple building 22nd Street in favor of this complex designed by Ben J. Kotin. The style of the
temple was inspired by Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen.
94

1960 PAULS HOUSE
THOMAS E. GREACEN II
1310 HARBOR VIEW DRIVE
The designer of this house was Houston architect W. Irving Phillips, Jr. After
training under Bernard Hoesli and Colin Rowe at the University of Texas during
the 1950s, Phillips worked in Houston under architect Tom Graecen.
In 1960, Phillips designed this house at 1310 Harbor View Drive for owners Mr.
and Mrs. Louis Paul, Jr.
Because Phillips located the main rooms on the second story, the Paulses could
look out through the house’s large windows to see the waters of the ship channel
on the other side of Harbor View Drive.
To ensure privacy, Phillips incorporated a type of sunscreen known as a brisesoleil.
Largely due to this attention-grabbing feature, the Pauls House stands
out among the group of modern houses built in Galveston during the 1950s
102

1962 MOODY NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
1962 - GOLEMON & ROLFE WITH JOHN A. GREESON II, 1969 - GOLEMON & ROLFE WITH BEN J. KOTIN &
TIBOR BEERMAN
2302 POST OFFICE STREET
In 1962, the Moody National Bank relocated to
this new building from their earlier building on
Market Street.
The company hired the Houston architecture firm
Goleman & Rolfe to create the design for the
one-story, flat-roofed, glass-walled bank building.
Seven years later, the bank rehired Goleman &
Rolfe to design a five-story office addition to the
north. The belt courses and overhanging cornice
of this larger segment shows respect for the bank’s
historic surroundings.
105

1963 KELSO HOUSE
THOMAS M. PRICE
6801 BROADWAY
During the twentieth century, an area to the west of downtown called Offatt’s Bayou became popular as the site weekend retreats for Galveston families. This
house at 6801 Broadway, designed in 1963 by Thomas M. Price, was one such camp.
106

1964 MOODY MEMORIAL FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
MARK LEMMON
2803 53RD STREET
Methodist Church was constructed in 1964 on a flat strip of land that was
previously associated with Fort Crockett near the Seawall.
Named in recognition of the Moody family’s philanthropic contributions, the
church has the vast dimensions typical of cathedrals. However, it bears the style
characteristics of both modern and neo-Gothic architecture owing to the design
of Dallas architect Mark Lemmon. The building’s granite and Kasota stone details
give it an architectural character not often seen in mid-century churches.
Moody Methodist continues to operate from its large complex on the site.
107

1964 MOODY MEMORIAL FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
108

1965 GALVESTON NEWS BUILDING
HOWARD BARNSTONE & EUGENE AUBRY WITH WILLIAM GINSBERG & ASSOCIATES
8522 TEICHMAN ROAD
Architects Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry designed this office and
production complex for the Galveston Daily News.
At one time, the Daily News was the most widely circulated newspaper in Texas.
In 1965, the company relocated its offices away from its historic downtown
location. They hired Barnstone and Aubry, who were important figures in the
revitalization of Galveston during the 1960s.
Barnstone’s 1965 book, The Galveston That Was, is credited with renewing
interest in the city’s history. Aubry, who grew up in Galveston, became a
nationally known architect.
The Daily News Building, with its reinforced concrete structure with segments
of painted concrete blocks, does not rank among the highlights of the careers
of Barnstone and Aubry. Nonetheless, it embodies an example of their work
during an important time in the city’s history.
109

1966 COMMODORE MOTEL
LOUIS L. OLIVER
3608 SEAWALL BOULEVARD
The 1966 Commodore Hotel is easily recognizable for its interesting, tightly
curved, whiplash floor plan. Architect Louis L. Oliver chose this plan in order
maximize the number of guest rooms with views of the Gulf.
Furthermore, Oliver’s location of rooms shows an appreciation of exterior spaces
as the rooms are sandwiched between private balconies on the side overlooking
the Seawall and a corridor of verandas on the rear side.
This configuration is typical of motels from this
period. More generally, the hotel’s exposedconcrete-frame
structure, panels of brick infill,
windows, and doors represent features popular
in American modern architecture during the
1950s and 1960s.
111

1971 ONE MOODY PLAZA
NEUHAUS & TAYLOR
1902-1928 MARKET STREET
For anyone traveling to Galveston by land or sea, One Moody Plaza is
island’s most readily recognizable landmark.
The tallest structure in the city, the 23-story building stands 358 feet
tall. It serves as the headquarters of the American National Insurance
Company, which constructed the tower in 1971.
To clear the site, the company demolished two city blocks of nineteenthcentury
buildings. Houston architecture firm Neuhaus & Taylor designed
the tower and situated in diagonally atop two levels of parking.
The construction of the tower posed substantial challenges. Houston
engineering firm Ellisor Engineers created a structural system based upon
a series of supports buried 120 feet below ground, and well below the
island’s water table. The parking garages are designed to be flooded
without permanent damage.
114

1971 ONE MOODY PLAZA
115