Victorian Galveston

Imagine a town with fabulously restored Victorian homes and a picturesque seashore. Now imagine it in ... Texas? Galveston’s proximity to South Padre Island, which has became something of a mecca for college students on spring break, might give you the wrong idea about this delightful beach town. Just 50 miles southeast of Houston, Galveston is both convenient and peppered with unique historical venues available for meetings and events.

One of these is Bishop’s Palace, sometimes called Gresham House, a National Historic Landmark building in Galveston’s East End Historic District. The house was built between 1887 and 1892 for Colonel Walter Gresham, an attorney and entrepreneur who came to Galveston from Virginia following his service in the Civil War. 

Bishop’s Palace rises three stories over a raised basement level and is topped off by steep roofs and long sculptural chimneys. Nicholas Clayton, Galveston’s premier architect, used simple geometric forms in the house’s design to dramatic effect. Interior features include a pair of Sienna marble columns flanking the entrance hall and a 40-foot-tall octagonal mahogany stairwell with stained glass on five sides. The house includes abundant stained glass, wood carvings, and decorative plaster ceilings and walls. Bishop’s Palace is ideal for large events, and can be rented out through the Galveston Historical Society. 

For a smaller meeting, consider Galveston’s oldest home, the Greek revival Michel B. Menard House. It was restored from near demise in the early 1990s and subsequently recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the most important residential preservation success stories in the country. Menard House can accommodate up to 75 guests for a cocktail reception and 24 for a seated dinner. The spacious, oak-shaded grounds can be rented out for functions for up to 150. Menard Hall, a newer building on the grounds, is also an ideal setting for a meeting, holding 96 for a seated event or 80 with a small dance floor. A caterer’s kitchen is available. 

Ashton Villa, one of the first of Galveston’s great mansions, is known for its original 1859 first-floor interior rooms, which can accommodate 60 people for seated events and 120 for receptions. The spacious ballroom was added in the 1920s for use by the affluent Brown family, the home’s first owners. With a caterer’s prep room, restroom facilities, and convenient parking, the ballroom is as ideal for contemporary meetings and events as it would have been for antebellum fetes. Ashton Villa’s ballroom comfortably holds 150 guests seated with a dance floor and 200 without. The ballroom can host 300 for a reception.

Each year, the Galveston Historical Foundation puts on two high-profile events of its own: Dickens on the Strand and the Galveston Historic Homes Tour. Every May the group leads guided tours of area Victorian homes; last year’s included nine houses in a variety of styles, from an 1871 Gulf Coast cottage to a Craftsman bungalow built in the 1920s. Over 700 volunteers assist with the annual event. Tickets are available for $20 on weekdays and $25 on weekends. The Dickens on the Strand holiday festival brings out British bobbies, Beefeaters, and Queen Victoria, who join memorable Dickensian characters for parades, book signings, songs, and theatrical performances each December. Such events might be worth a stop for groups with great expectations of what Galveston has to offer.