Galveston Historical Foundation Announces 2014 Heritage at Risk List

Galveston Island, Texas– Each year, Galveston Historical Foundation asks the public for nominations to the “Heritage at Risk” list of historic sites and properties in Galveston County. Houses on the list are at risk of being lost due to damage, neglect or proposed development. The Heritage at Risk List is not limited to buildings, but also includes landscapes, sites, objects, and monuments that compose the cultural landscape of Galveston County. 2014 also marks the first time the listing is extended to all of Galveston County.

There are three major criteria for consideration on the list:

Listed properties or resources should be locally, regionally or nationally significant
Resources must have an identifiable threat to their preservation such as proposed demolition, critical damage, or significant deterioration
The preservation of the site will contribute to the promotion of Galveston County’s heritage

#GHFHERITAGEATRISK

GHF also wants to hear from residents and visitors in Galveston County. The public is encouraged to take a photo and share it via instagram or twitter with the tag #ghfheritageatrisk to notify the Foundation what is seen in the community that warrants a preservationist’s eye.

2014 HERITAGE AT RISK LIST

For more information and history on each property listed, please visit galvestonhistory.org.

Critical

1898 JAMES FADDEN BUILDING– 2410-2412 Strand Street, Galveston Texas

The Fadden Building now anchors the western end of the Strand Mechanic Historic District, which is both a local landmark and a National Historic Landmark district. Nicholas Clayton, one of the state’s most noted 19th century architects, designed the building for James Fadden’s wholesale wine, liquor and cigar business in 1898. In 2013 construction on a Federal Transit Administration funded bus and parking facility required drilling foundation supports into the ground. On doing so, the foundation of the building was penetrated, causing structural damage to the west and north elevations. After inspections, the building was closed and no occupation allowed. The building’s owner initiated litigation against the construction company with a settlement reached requiring the construction company to purchase the building. If the City of Galveston chooses to enforce its “imminent threat to health and safety” regulations, the building may be slated for demolition. This would be the first loss of a contributing building in the NHL district in thirty years.

1872 WILLIAM AND ANNIE OUTTERSIDE HOUSE – 2805 Avenue L, Galveston

Built in 1872 by early Galvestonians William and Annie Outterside, the two-story, five-bay center-hall house is an early surviving example of a French mansard roof house with a S-curve roof over the front veranda. Brick veneer was added to the house at a later date. The house is included in the City of Galveston Hurricane Ike Disaster Recovery Program and is slated to be demolished and replaced with a new house. The city Landmark Commission granted a 90-day stay, which expired on April 6 2014. The only scenario to save the house at this point is to move it to another location, where it could become a contributing element reinforcing another historic neighborhood.

1899 JAMES McDONALD HOUSE – 2622 Ursuline (Avenue N), Galveston

Built in 1899 by James McDonald, 2622 Avenue N is a classic example of Galveston’s architectural treasures. Sitting across from the site of the old Ursuline Academy, the high-raised cottage boasts five bays, a hipped roof and a full gallery across the main floor, reminiscent of the southern Creole vernacular style popular in Galveston before the turn of the 20th century. Damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008, the house appears to be vacant. The structure is currently under view by the City of Galveston’s Building Standards Commission.

Unprotected

1886 PETER GENGLER TENANT COTTAGE – 2024 Avenue K, Galveston

1887 GUSTAVE MAYHOFF COTTAGE – 2110 Avenue O, Galveston

1874 HERBERT WILLIAM LORENZ COTTAGES – 1710 & 1716 22nd Street, Galveston

THOMAS J. BRITTON FAMILY ESTATE, 1867 SETTLEMENT – 214 & 218 Bell Drive, Texas City, Texas

Corner Buildings

c1870 ROBERT PALISER TENANT COTTAGE – 2125 Avenue O, Galveston

1907 BEISSNER BUILDING, McCRORY’S FIVE & DIME – 2123 Postoffice (Avenue E), Galveston

1892 CHARLES L. FLAKE HOUSE – 3601 Avenue M, Galveston
Antebellum

1859 JOHN H. WESTERLAGE HOUSE – 1524 Mechanic (Avenue C), Galveston

1857 NICHOLSTONE HOUSE – 5000 Park Avenue, Dickinson, Texas
Sacred Places

BELL TOWER, 1894 GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH – 1115 36th Street, Galveston

For more information on Galveston Historical Foundation’s Heritage at Risk list, contact Matthew Pelz, Director of Preservation Services at (409)750-9108 or e-mail [email protected].