Bishop's Palace AKA Walter Gresham House

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Read more: Bishops Palace  -TSHA

Transcript :
The Bishops palace is located on the Northwest corner of Broadway and 14th St. The Bishops palace is an ornate 19,000 square feet Victorian Era castle. Designed by island famous architect, Nicolas Clayton.  This Victorian castle has been cited by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 100 most important buildings in America. The home took 5 years to construct, built between 1887 and 1893 for Walter Gresham, a lawyer and Texas politician. Walter Gresham undoubtedly thrived in Galveston during its late 1800 economic boom. The home is estimated to have cost around $250,000 dollars at the time of construction, roughly around 6 million dollars today. The sturdy home stood virtually unphased during the 1900 storm, as many homes surrounding the castle crumbled to the forces of the most deadly hurricane in U.S. history. Many people sought refuge at the Gresham’s home as the city was ravaged by the storm. I highly recommend taking a tour of this home, as it is one of Galveston‘s most impressive and luxurious. You may be wondering why the home is now known as the Bishops palace. After Walter Gresham‘s death in 1920, The home was sold to the Roman Catholic diocese and became the home of the Bishop, Bishop Christopher Byrne. While touring the home, you will be able to compare The original Gresham home installations to the Catholic diocese additions. One of the most prominent additions to the home, is the conversion of one of the bedrooms into a chapel. While facing the home from the Broadway side, you will be able to spot stained glass on the second floor. This is where the chapel remains today.When the Catholic diocese of Galveston combined with Houston, The home was then converted into a museum in the early 1960s. Galveston historical foundation now maintains and operates this wonderful exhibition the islands opulence and economic prominence. 

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