The Hendley Building or Hendley Row | 2010 Strand | Galveston, Texas

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Interested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below! :

Hendley Row:
The Hendley Building | Library of Congress 
Library of congress images of the Hendley Building
Galveston historical Foundation

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Transcript:
The Hendley Building: commercial icon of Galveston's historic Strand and Civil War Battleground. The Hendley Building, also known as Hendley Row, was constructed between 1855 and 1859. When this building was erected, 20th Street was considered the center line of the city.

This Greek revival-style building is the oldest brick structure on Strand. Looking at the front of the building from Strand, you will see that it is four separate units divided by granite blocks. When looking closely at the granite dividing blocks, you can see the initials of the original building owners carved into the granite.

The Henley building was constructed to facilitate the rapidly expanding Kuhns Wharf and to be utilized as a shipping line headquarters between Galveston and New York City. Starting up a new shipping line was common in Galveston in the late 1800s, as Galveston was the closest port to facilitate expansion to the American West.

Shortly after construction, during the American Civil War, the Hendley Building played a significant role during the Battle of Galveston in 1863. Galveston was a key port for Confederate supply lines. In October 1862, the Union Navy finally seized control of the Port of Galveston. On New Year's day of 1863, a joint effort between the Confederate Army and a makeshift confederate naval force attacked the union vessels in the harbor.

The Confederate army, led by General John Bankhead Magruder, utilized the Henley building and other smaller buildings on 20th Street. The battle was initiated by the Confederacy in the early morning hours. The battle was short. The Union Navy was not prepared, and the Confederacy once again claimed Galveston.

If you look closely at the 20th Street facing wall, you can spot cannonball or shell damage on one of the pillars. Through the next century and a half, the Hendley building served its original purpose as a warehouse and office space for shipping lines. This historic building has also served as a home to liquor and produce distributors, office and retail space, priv

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