Some GHF Properties Suffer Damage from Hurricane Ike, but Remediation is Underway

When I called out to folks to find the door of Galveston Historical Foundation, I did not expect Hurricane Ike to include himself! While Hurricane Ike was bearing down on the Texas coast, the staff at Galveston Historical Foundation and their volunteers were attending to the hurricane preparation procedures authored by nationally recognized experts, GHF staff and aided by the experiences of others (the manual itself weighs over 2 pounds)! While Ike wreaked havoc over most of our neighborhoods, thankfully our staff and their families are all safe and no one was hurt.

Our headquarters, the 1861 Custom House, was flooded by as much as eight feet of water, causing damage to files, offices, archives, equipment systems and inventory. Structural damage seems to be limited to an upstairs door onto the gallery and it appears that our roof survived. Damage to our Mechanic Street warehouse was extensive, as it was inundated with at least 10 feet of water. GHF vehicles parked up the ramp in the warehouse were also unfortunately damaged beyond repair. Our Architectural Salvage Warehouse at the Sealy Garage building suffered window damage and several feet of flooding.

The 1877 Tall Ship Elissa restored by GHF in 1982 and maintained by hundreds of volunteers is a proud symbol of Galveston. She rode out the storm at Pier 22 with little damage beyond the loss of several of her sails.

The shop at Pier 22 did not do as well unfortunately, suffering considerable damage to the brick and wooden pier structure, and a loss of the wooden workshops which serve the maintenance needs of the Elissa. The Seaport Museum in the 1990 Jones Building did much better, suffering minor structural and water damage.

The historic 1859 Ashton Villa is in grave danger of damage from mildew and mold. A first remediation team from Galveston Historical Foundation has determined that the antique furniture and artworks, much of it original to the house, can be saved if timely action is taken. The ornate first floor of the house, with its elaborate “Gold Room,” parlor and dining room, was flooded with 30 inches of water and mud, soaking the furniture and art. These irreplaceable pieces can be saved only if they are immediately cooled to arrest the growth of the mold and mildew infesting them. Galveston restaurateur and devoted preservationist Paulie Gaido has offered assistance.

The 1886-1892 Gresham House at 14th and Broadway, also known as the Bishop’s Palace, and the most visited historic property on the Island, suffered damage when its third-story windows blew out. Our renovation in progress visitor’s center on the ground floor which also contains offices and a ticket counter suffered flooding of three feet of water.

The wooden 1859 St. Joseph’s church, the state’s oldest German Catholic Church, lost a couple of windows and some shutters were damaged. Still standing is the wooden steeple that was somewhat truncated in the 1900 storm.

The 1921 National Bank building, the home of the Galveston County Historical Museum, suffered some water damage in the basement, however exhibits appear to be fine.

Our the two oldest residences on the island, the 1838 Menard Home and the 1839 Samuel May Williams Home escaped unscathed as did the 1880 Garten Verein.

Galveston Historical Foundation will continue to be a driving force in the development and enrichment of the City of Galveston. We have a lot of work to do and much needed donations and contributions of labor and time will be needed. Please consider making an online donation to GHF at ghf.destinationnext.com/donation.aspx Please make the donation online as our offices are closed.

We are up to the challenge. After all we have a long history and vast experience to draw from. With a dedicated staff and a core of volunteers, GHF will continue its tradition of celebrating Dickens on the Strand the first weekend in December so please save the date. While we can’t promise it will be exactly like our past festivals we can promise you a fun family holiday event! While the door might be slightly off its hinges, it will be restored and GHF will continue to be the Gateway to the Preservation of Texas History.

Tom Schwenk
President, Galveston Historical Foundation