Samuel May Williams House
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The Samuel May Williams House is a former museum in
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
. The second-oldest surviving residence in Galveston, it is now on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. It was designated a
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the U.S. state of Texas. RTHL is a legal designation and the highest honor the st ...
in 1964. The home was built in 1839 for
Samuel May Williams Samuel May Williams (October 4, 1795 – September 13, 1858) was an American businessman, politician, and close associate of Stephen F. Austin, who was an Anglo-American colonizer of Mexican Texas. As a teenager, Williams started working in t ...
, one of the founders of Galveston. The
prefabricated house Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. Some research ...
was shipped from Maine and constructed on off the ground, raised on ten piers. The -story house was topped with a cupola, where Williams installed a telescope so that he could be one of the first to learn when interesting cargo arrived by ship. After Williams' death in 1858, the house was sold to his friend, Phillip C. Tucker, and became known as the Tucker House. The Tucker family retained possession of the house until 1953. The house was purchased by, and became the first project of, the newly organized Galveston Historic Foundation. Restoration was partially funded by a grant from the
Moody Foundation The Moody Foundation is a charitable foundation incorporated in Texas and based in the island city of Galveston. It was chartered in 1942 by William Lewis Moody Jr. and his wife Libbie Rice Shearn Moody ''"to benefit, in perpetuity, present and ...
. In 2007, the executive director of the GHF, stated "I can hardly overemphasize the importance of this house, not only to Galveston and Texas history, but to the history and affections of our organization." The house was opened to the public in 1959, restored to its original look in the late 1970s, and opened to regular tours in 1984. Attendance dropped from 25,000 to 1,000 visitors per year, and the museum was closed in 2007. The interiors were redesigned as part of an interior design showcase, and the house was offered for rent in 2008. It survived 2008's
Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...
unscathed.


History


Background

Samuel May Williams Samuel May Williams (October 4, 1795 – September 13, 1858) was an American businessman, politician, and close associate of Stephen F. Austin, who was an Anglo-American colonizer of Mexican Texas. As a teenager, Williams started working in t ...
moved to
Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its Mexican War of Independence, war against Spain, whi ...
in 1822 and soon began working as the secretary to Stephen F. Austin, the first ''
empresario An empresario () was a person who had been granted the right to settle on land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for settling the eastern areas of Coahuila y Tejas in the early nineteenth century. Since ''empresarios'' attract ...
'' in Texas.Henson (1976), pp. 3–5. During the
Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...
(1835–1836), Williams and his business partner Thomas F. McKinney used $99,000 of their own funds to purchase supplies for the
Texian Army The Texian Army, also known as the Revolutionary Army and Army of the People, was the land warfare branch of the Texian armed forces during the Texas Revolution. It spontaneously formed from the Texian Militia in October 1835 following the Bat ...
; Williams also purchased the first ship in the
Texas Navy The Texas Navy, officially the Navy of the Republic of Texas, also known as the Second Texas Navy, was the naval warfare branch of the Texas Military Forces during the Republic of Texas. It descended from the Texian Navy, which was established i ...
, the schooner ''Invincible''.Henson (1976), pp. 79–81. The war concluded with a
Texian Texians were Anglo-American immigrants to Mexican Texas and, later, citizens of the Republic of Texas. Today, the term is used to identify early Anglo settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of tha ...
victory over Mexico, and the province known as Texas became an independent nation, the
Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...
. Between 1836 and 1838, McKinney and Williams worked with Michel B. Menard to get federal permission for the Galveston City Company to create a community on the eastern end of
Galveston Island Galveston Island ( ) is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States, about southeast of Houston, Texas, Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, Texas, Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City ...
. In April 1838, Williams was named one of five directors of the company, which had permission to sell shares that could be redeemed for land or resold.Henson (1976), pp. 94–96. The new city of
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
grew rapidly, with over 4,000 residents in 1840. The city was geographically isolated, with no fresh water. There was not a bridge to connect the island to the mainland, and water was delivered by steamer every day.Cartwright (1998), p. 77.


Construction

In late 1838, Williams won election to the Fourth Congress. He asked McKinney to supervise the building of a home for the Williams family.Henson (1976), p. 105. Like most of the wealthier residents in the city, Williams wished to live along the banks of McKinney's Bayou. His lot was located near the bayou at 35th Street and Avenue A, about west of the town. Williams had ordered a
prefabricated house Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. Some research ...
, which was shipped from
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
. It was built in the
Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...
style, with some elements of classic Louisiana plantation architecture. To allow the house to better weather storms, it was elevated on ten brick piers.Cartwright (1998), p. 78. The bricks used for the piers were transported to Galveston as
ballast Ballast is dense material used as a weight to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within ...
on ships. The -story house was topped with a cupola and
widow's walk A widow's walk, also known as a widow's watch or roofwalk, is a railed rooftop platform often having an inner cupola/Turret (architecture), turret frequently found on 19th-century North American coastal houses. The name is said to come from the W ...
. The first floor had long porches, and dormer windows adorned the attic. The cupola windows could be opened, allowing cool ocean breezes to enter the house. The house faces east, and had a large gallery on both the south and east sides. The downstairs consisted of a parlor, dining room, central hallway, and two bedrooms. Both the parlor and the front bedroom had French doors that opened onto the porch. The upstairs had four small bedrooms, each with a dormer. Classical wood columns supported the porch roof, and a white picket fence surrounded the house. A detached brick kitchen was in the rear, and on either side of the house were garden plots. Williams estimated that the house cost $7,472.


Williams family residence

For the next 20 years, Williams, his wife, and children lived in the house. Williams often lounged on the widow's walk. At this time, Galveston Island had few trees or tall buildings, and from the widow's walk Williams could see the Gulf. He could also watch the horse races at a nearby race track which he co-owned with McKinney. He installed a telescope on the widow's walk, pointed towards the harbor. It was customary for ships to flash signals as they approached land to inform the harbormaster of the types of cargo they carried. Williams used his telescope to examine approaching ships; if one flashed the signal of an interesting cargo, Williams would rush downtown to start trading. This gave him a competitive advantage over other merchants, who did not learn of the cargo until the ship was closer to shore. Partially as a result of this tactic, the McKinney & Williams commission house "was considered one of the wealthiest and most influential establishments in Texas". As Williams' wealth grew, he made his home more comfortable. He ordered portraits painted of both himself and his wife; these were hung in the parlor of the house. In a stable behind the house he kept two horses, a carriage, and a
barouche A barouche is a large, open, four-wheeled carriage, both heavy and luxurious, drawn by two horses. It was fashionable throughout the 19th century. Its body provides seats for four passengers, two back-seat passengers Vis-à-vis (carriage), vis- ...
. The family had four slaves, who lived in outbuildings near the kitchen.Henson (1976), p. 148. Williams died in the house on September 13, 1858, of what his doctor called "general debility".quoted in Henson (1976), p. 161. The funeral was held several days later at the house.Henson (1976), p. 161.


Tucker family residence

In 1859, Williams' children sold the house to a family friend, Philip C. Tucker, and it became known as the Tucker House.Henson (1976, p. 163. The same year, Galveston received train service to the mainland; three times a week people could travel via train to Houston. A fire in the 1890s destroyed the cupola and damaged some of the second story floors. The house survived the
1900 Galveston Hurricane The 1900 Galveston hurricane, also known as the Great Galveston hurricane and the Galveston Flood, and known regionally as the Great Storm of 1900 or the 1900 Storm, was a deadly and catastrophic Atlantic hurricane which became the List of di ...
, which devastated the island. After the storm, it was the second-oldest surviving house on the island. During the reconstruction of the city, the grade of the populated portion of the island was raised. Four feet (1.2 m) of sand was pumped under the house, giving it the appearance of having only piers.


Preservation

In the 1950s, the "
Free State of Galveston The Free State of Galveston (sometimes referred to as the Republic of Galveston Island) was a satirical name given to the coastal city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometime ...
" collapsed as law enforcement worked to eradicate corruption and illegal activity. As the city's gambling, prostitution, and illegal drinking establishments were closed, city leaders began to look for other means to attract tourists. This prompted an increased interest in historic structures.McComb (1986), p. 197. The Galveston Historic Foundation (GHF) was established in this decade, primarily to save the Williams house.Hardwick (2002), p. 147. To assist in preserving the house, the GHF received a grant from the
Moody Foundation The Moody Foundation is a charitable foundation incorporated in Texas and based in the island city of Galveston. It was chartered in 1942 by William Lewis Moody Jr. and his wife Libbie Rice Shearn Moody ''"to benefit, in perpetuity, present and ...
. The foundation had been established by Galveston resident
William Lewis Moody Jr. William Lewis Moody Jr. (January 25, 1865 – July 21, 1954)Who Was Who In America, Vol. 3, 1951-1960. Library of Congress number 43-3789. was an American financier and entrepreneur from Galveston, Texas, who founded a private bank, an insurance ...
to support educational, scientific, religious, and health institutions in Texas.Wiencek ''et al'' (2010), p. 61. Its chairman, Mary Moody Northen, who was a member of the
Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the U.S. state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Histor ...
advisory board, emphasized historic preservation.Wiencek ''et al.'' (2010), pp. 62, 64. The GHF restored the house, and in 1959 it opened to the public.McComb (1986), p. 198. The site was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1971. After finishing the restoration, the GHF worked to restore other historical buildings in Galveston. The GHF absorbed the Galveston Historical Society shortly after, becoming one of the largest locally based groups focused on historic preservation in the United States. Author Susan Wiley Hardwick wrote that "The initial work of the GHF, preservation of the Williams home, set the stage for the preservation and redevelopment of the Strand commercial district, located one block from the harbor."


Museum

Initially, the house was furnished with donated items. The GHF conducted extensive research in 1978 to determine the house's appearance during Williams' lifetime. The house was subsequently restored to its 1854 appearance, with a reconstructed cupola. It was reopened to the public for regular tours in 1984. In the 1980s, it received up to 25,000 visitors each year. For a time, the museum used innovative interpretive technology. As technology changed, however, the museum fell behind. New audiovisual systems and technology are expensive and, as with most
historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a variety of ...
s, a limited budget made it difficult to adapt. Jessica Foy Donnelly wrote in ''Interpreting historic house museums'' that "changing technology for audiovisual systems contributed to the failure f the Williams house museumto continue an exciting interpretive technique."Donnelly (2002), p. 35. In 2004, the house received new landscaping, donated from the
Hotel Galvez The Grand Galvez Resort & Spa is a historic 226-room resort hotel located in Galveston, Texas, United States that opened in 1911 as the Hotel Galvez. It was named to honor Bernardo de Gálvez, 1st Viscount of Galveston, for whom the city was nam ...
. In preparation for adding a new outdoor pavilion, the Galvez uprooted hundreds of shrubs and perennials. Many of these, including oleanders, daylilies, hibiscus, plumbago, agapanthus, and bougainvillea, were relocated to the grounds around the Williams house. Attendance slowly dwindled, and in the first nine months of 2007 the museum received only 1,000 visitors, each of whom paid about $3 per ticket. These funds were not enough to cover maintenance on the house. The museum closed permanently at the end of September 2007.


Post-museum

After closing its doors to the public, the house was used by the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the
American Society of Interior Designers The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes the profession of interior design. It has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Throughout all of the associations o ...
as a showcase. The home was redesigned at no cost to the GHF. Designers donated their time, and businesses and craftsmen donated an estimated $100,000 worth of materials and time. The redesigned house features wood floors, stenciling in the entryway, and faux crown molding in the dining room. The color palette is now blues, roses, soft yellow, and gold colors, and the furniture is a mix of period pieces – some originally owned by the Williams family – and contemporary furniture. The theater was converted to a kitchen, and the bathroom was upgraded with antique fixtures. After the showcase concluded, the GHF offered the house for lease. Tenants would also serve as curators and would be required to interview for the opportunity to live there. Tenants are requested to open the house or grounds occasionally. This is the first time that a group has leased a historic building with a newly redesigned interior. The home suffered minimal damage during
Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...
, which hit Galveston in September 2008.Schmidt (2009), p.4. In early 2016 the GHF sold the house to Leah and Mariano Garcia-Blanco, who moved to Galveston from North Carolina in 2014 and planned to restore the interior.


Legacy

In 2007, Dwayne Jones, then executive director of the GHF, stated "I can hardly overemphasize the importance of this house, not only to Galveston and Texas history, but to the history and affections of our organization. The house inspired a generation of active, public-spirited Galvestonians to found what has grown into the largest local historic preservation group in the nation — an organization that has had a profound effect on our community." The house is reputed to be haunted by Williams. Tourists have reported feeling a cold draft and a presence outside the bedrooms of the children.Williams(2007), p. 32. A replica of the house was built in the Woodlands, a northern suburb of Houston, in the early 2000s. Homebuilder Insignia Homes chose six historic Texas houses, and built luxury replicas in a single neighborhood. Although the exterior is almost identical to the original Williams house, the interiors were redesigned to be more modern.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Galveston County, Texas This is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Galveston County, Texas. There are 10 districts, 74 individual properties, and four former properties listed on the Nation ...
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Galveston County


Notes


References


Sources

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Samuel May, House Greek Revival houses in Texas Houses completed in 1839 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Galveston County, Texas Historic house museums in Texas Museums in Galveston, Texas Defunct museums in Texas Houses in Galveston, Texas