Contact: Molly Dannenmaier
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
409-765-7834

Ashton Villa Re-Opens for Independence Day Weekend with New “Restoration in Progress” Tour

Officials of Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) announce that Ashton Villa will re-open for the Independence Day weekend and will remain open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from now on. The new tour, entitled “Restoration in Progress at Ashton Villa” will lead visitors through the still unfinished, unfurnished main floor, whose original plaster walls are still drying, describing in detail the damage that occurred to the property as a result of Hurricane Ike and the steps that will be necessary to fully restore the mansion. The undamaged, still furnished second floor of Ashton Villa will be included in the tour as well.

The oldest mansion on Broadway, Ashton Villa was built in 1859 on the eve of the Civil War. It was operated as a house museum by Galveston Historical Foundation for decades until its first floor was flooded by Hurricane Ike on September 12, 2008.

The new Friday, Saturday, and Sunday tours at Ashton Villa will be held at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. The price will be $9 for adults ($2 will go to match the Save America's Treasures Grant), $6 for students 6 to 18, $23 for a family pass (two adults and up to three students under 18), and free for kids 0 to 5.

The new tour will cover the history of the house, the family, the 1900 Hurricane, the grade raising, Hurricane Ike, and preservation/restoration problems of the house has faced both before and after Hurricane Ike. Problems such as the deterioration of the brick, the rising damp, will be covered, as will the possible solutions to those problems, and the damage and remediation of the building after Ike.

For more information, call 409-762-2475.