3 notable galveston landmarks on broadway

3 notable Galveston Landmarks on Broadway are the Texas Heroes Monument, the Moody Mansion, and Bishops Palace.

TEXAS HEROES MONUMENT

Texas Heroes Monument is located at the intersection of Broadway and 25th Street in Galveston. On April 21st, 1900, an estimated 10,000 people gathered at this site to witness the unveiling of a monument honoring the heroes of the Texas Revolution. The statue was a gift of Henry Rosenberg, whose last will and testament included a special bequest for this purpose. Rosenberg Library has a display collection of items related to the historic Texas Heroes Monument.

Mr. Rosenberg’s will provided the funds for the erection of a monument in the city of Galveston.to honor those who fought during the Texas war for independence from Mexico some 57 years earlier. Rosenberg instructed that $50,000 be used to erect an appropriate monument in memory of the heroes of the Texas revolution of 1836.

The decision was made to place the monument at the intersection of Broadway and 25th St. (also known as Bath Avenue), Galveston’s two widest thoroughfares. In March 1898, 25th Street was renamed Rosenberg Avenue as a tribute to the city’s greatest benefactor, and plans for the great statue moved forward.

Louis Amateis, a nationally renowned sculptor, designed a granite and bronze structure composed of a 72 ft. vertical edifice upon a 34 sq ft. base. The base included 4 bronze panels with figures which tell the story of Texas’s struggle for sovereignty. A bronze female figure of Victory projects 22 ft. toward the sky.

Mr. Amateis carved the granite sections of the sculpture on-site in Galveston. The bronze pieces were cast in Rome and shipped to the island for assembly. The columns and base were crafted in Washington, D.C. from the same quarry used for construction of the Library of Congress. The Texas Heroes Monument is considered by many to be Louis Amateis’ greatest achievement.

The unveiling celebration for the monument was April 21, 1900. This date was selected for the unveiling celebration because it marked the anniversary of the Texian victory at the Battle of San Jacinto which ended the war. The Sidney Sherman Chapter of the Daughters of the Texas Revolution issued invitations statewide for those interested in attending the celebration. Federal, state, county, and city courts all closed for the day, as did many local businesses. More than 2,000 school children led a procession toward the monument carrying flags and flowers. The crowd was estimated to be 10,000.

Colonel Marcus F. Mott, a close friend of Mr. Rosenberg and executor of his estate, welcomed attendees to the ceremony and a seventeen-gun salute was fired to honor Texas Governor Joseph D. Sayers. The massive monument was unveiled, followed by singing, a dedicatory address, speeches, and a final benediction.

Visit the YouTube video on the Texas Heroes Monument at Beyond Broadway: The Texas Heroes Monument – YouTube.

1895 MOODY MANSION

The Moody Mansion, also known as the Willis-Moody Mansion, is a historic residential building in Galveston, Texas located at 2618 Broadway Avenue. The thirty-one room 28,000 sq. ft. Romanesque mansion was completed in 1895. The home is named for William Lewis Moody, Jr., an American financier and entrepreneur in the cotton business who bought the home from Galveston socialite Narcissa Willis. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1994. A 20-room tour of Moody Mansion is now offered, and the facilities can be rented out for weddings and other events.

Learn more about the layout, references, and see external links to National Landmarks in Texas and Texas Historic Places in Galveston County at Moody Mansion – Wikipedia.

Visit the YouTube video on Moody Mansion to learn more about this historic residence at Take a Tour of the 1895 Moody Mansion in Galveston, Texas | VisitGalveston.com – YouTube.

BISHOP’S PALACE

The Bishop’s Palace, also known as Gresham’s Castle, is an ornate 19,082 sq. ft. Victorian-style house, in the East End Historic District of Galveston located on Broadway and 14th Street.

The Gresham mansion was made all of stone. It withstood the great 1900 hurricane. The Greshams welcomed hundreds of storm survivors into their home.

The house was built by Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton for lawyer and politician Walter Gresham and wife Josephine and their nine children between 1887 and 1892. In 1923 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston purchased the house, and located across the street from the Sacred Heart Church, it served as the residence for Bishop Christopher E. Byrne.  After the diocesan offices were moved to Houston, the diocese opened the mansion to public tours in 1963. Proceeds from the tours were used to help fund the UT medical school‘s Newman Center, which operated in the basement.

The home is estimated to have cost $250,000 at the time; today its value is estimated at over $5.5 million.

The house is now owned by the Galveston Historical Foundation. Self-guided tours are available daily. A portion of each admission supports the preservation and restoration of the property.

Learn more about the layout, references, and see external links to National Landmarks in Texas and Texas Historic Places in Galveston County at Bishop’s Palace at Bishop’s Palace, Galveston – Wikipedia.

Visit the YouTube video to learn more about the interior and the exterior of the Bishop’s Palace in Galveston at Bishop’s Palace Victorian Mansion 1892 Galveston Texas – YouTube.

Other Places of Interest in Galveston

If you found the 3 notable Galveston landmarks on Broadway to be interesting and informative, please see my blog on two of Galveston’s Oldest Catholic Churches at 2 of Galveston’s Oldest Catholic Churches (mygalvestonrealtor.com). Sacred Heart Catholic Church is just across the street from the Moody Mansion. Another interesting place to visit is the Grand Galvez Hotel. Checkout my blog at Elegantly Restored Grand Galvez Hotel Galveston TX (mygalvestonrealtor.com). In May 2021, Mr. Mark Wyant from Dallas purchased the hotel. He and his designer wife, Lorenda have renovated and restored the hotel to its original beauty. They have renamed the hotel the Grand Galvez.

Interested in Owning a Home in Galveston?

Follow “Homes For Sale” 6 active listings in galveston, texas usa (mygalvestonrealtor.com). Listings are updated each week. Questions? CALL or TEXT ME, Jerri Sutherland, Broker, eXp Realty LLC at (281) 796-0153. I live and work in Galveston, TX and I LOVE Galveston.