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Bay Area News
34th Galveston Historic Homes Tour To be Held
this Weekend and Next
by Molly Dannenmaier
GALVESTON, TEXAS – Galveston Historical Foundation’s (GHF’s) annual
Galveston Historic Homes Tour, held the first two weekends every May for the
past 34 years, will be held during the upcoming weekends of May 3 and 4, and
10 and 11. Ten private historic homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
each day. Seven special events, including a preview evening tour and a
mother’s day brunch are being held in conjunction with the 2008 Galveston
Historic Homes Tour. Full information about the tour and all related special
events is available at
www.galvestonhistory.org .
Highlighting this year’s Historic Homes Tour will be the reopening of the
1839 Samuel May Williams House as the American Society of Interior Designers
Spring Designer Showhouse. The Williams House, which is the second oldest
house in Galveston and is owned by Galveston Historical Foundation, was
closed as a house museum last year and now has been redesigned as a livable
single-family home. The 10,000-square foot Greek Revival Lasker House is
another important feature of this year’s Historic Homes Tour. The Lasker
House served for 80 years as an orphanage. Now it has been transformed into
an imposing residence and event venue.
Discounted advance tickets to the Historic Homes Tour are $20, or $15 for
groups of 20 or more, and for GHF Members. (Member tickets are sold only at
GHF headquarters.) Beginning May 3, the first day of the tour, tickets are
$25. Tickets may be purchased online at galvestonhistory.org, or by phone at
1-777-77CLICK, and are available at area Kroger stores.
Sidebar:
Galveston Historic Homes on Tour for 2008:
John M. & Catherine Allardyce House (1859-61)
1227 Ball Avenue
The Allardyce House is a true survivor. The house escaped the devastating
1885 fire by only a few blocks, and the debris generated by the 1900 storm
came to rest only a few yards away protecting the house from destruction.
Various owners of the house made additions and alterations, but the soul of
an antebellum middle-class family home shines through.
Marcus C. & Laura McLemore House (c. 1870)
Lasker Home for Homeless Children
1019 16th Street
Addition by Donald N. McKenzie, Architect, 1912
Built as a private residence for the McLemores, the double-gallery, Greek
revival house, one of the most significant in the Lost Bayou Historic
District still stands as a monument to the philanthropic endeavors of
Galveston’s Morris Lasker for over 80 years the house served as the Lasker
Home for Homeless Children and most recently as a private school. The
current owner has renovated the property, whose spacious rooms once held a
family, orphans and school children, into a residence and a unique event
venue.
Thompson & Company Building Loft (1877)
112 Tremont (23rd Street)
Nathaniel W. Tobey, Architect
In the 1870’s, the Galveston Wharf Company expanded the wharf front for the
rapidly developing commercial and trade district on the island. Sitting on
land reclaimed from Galveston Bay, the Thompson and company Building is one
of several properties still remaining from that endeavor. It was built by
cotton merchants, Wolston, Wells and Vidor. The building is undergoing a
complete transformation by the George Mitchell companies into residential
lofts and retail spaces.
M. Howard & Minnie Carnes House (1887)
1914 Avenue M
Alfred Muller, Architect
The Carnes House, now known as the Coppersmith Inn, is the work of the young
German architect Alfred Muller and a notable example of eclectic Victorian
architecture. Muller combined elements of the stick and Queen Anne styles
with a hint of Italianate to render the shortened corner turret and textured
shingled walls. The interior staircase is one of the finest and most
expressive on the Island.
Mrs. Mary Lee’s Tenant House (1888)
2018 Avenue M
This gable-front Victorian house is a popular architectural form on
Galveston Island. Though the house has been updated, many of its original
elements remain. The house is one of the earliest in the Lost Bayou Historic
District.
Dr. Cary & Eliza Wilkinson House (1891)
1605 Avenue K
Restoration in Progress
The Wilkinson House is a raised Victorian center-hall cottage highlighted
with a sunburst gable front. In 2007, GHF moved the house, originally
located at 613 19th Street, using its revolving fund. GHF’s research on the
house revealed historic photographs showing an original striped roof that
has been replicated. A new owner is now rehabilitating and expanding the
house.
Roland P. Allen House (1895)
1402 24th Street
The Allen House offers a striking contrast to the houses on the West side of
24th Street. This raised cottage with a gable front features unusual
Eastlake windows and door details. This house is part of the site occupied
by the 1871 Texas Cotton Press, which when demolished in 1893, opened the
area for residential development.
Joseph L. Gengler, Jr. House (1905)
2102 Avenue P
The Gengler House replaced one destroyed by the 1900 storm. This high-raised
gable-front cottage with its wrap around porch is located near the Hotel
Galvez and has a commanding view of the Gulf. The Genglers spent $3,560 for
construction that originally included a cistern, stable and chicken house.
R.H. Settle House (c. 1912)
3202 Avenue Q
The Settle House is a two-story craftsman house built in an area destroyed
by the 1900
Storm. This spacious property includes a number of built-in features and
original light fixtures. Sited on an extra-large lot, this fine house boasts
floor-to-ceiling windows and the wrap-around porch common to Galveston.
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