Bishop's Palace, Galveston facts for kids
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Bishop's Palace
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Bishop's Palace in 1967
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 Bishop's Palace
Location in Texas
Bishop's Palace
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1402 Broadway, Galveston, Texas |
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| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1887-1892 |
| Architect | Nicholas J. Clayton |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Eclectic |
| Part of | East End Historic District (ID75001979) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000746 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1970 |
| Designated NHLDCP | May 11, 1976 |
| Designated CP | May 30, 1975 |
The Bishop's Palace, also known as Gresham's Castle, is a grand and fancy Victorian-style house. It is located in Galveston, Texas, at Broadway and 14th Street. This amazing building is part of the historic East End District.
Contents
History of Gresham's Castle
This large house was built between 1887 and 1892. The architect was Nicholas J. Clayton, who designed many buildings in Galveston. It was built for a lawyer and politician named Walter Gresham. He lived there with his wife, Josephine, and their nine children.
The Gresham mansion was made entirely of stone. This made it strong enough to survive the terrible 1900 Galveston hurricane. After the storm, the Greshams opened their home. They welcomed hundreds of people who had lost their homes.
In 1923, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston bought the house. A diocese is an area managed by a bishop in the Catholic Church. The house became the home for Bishop Christopher E. Byrne. It was very convenient, as it was right across from the Sacred Heart Church.
Later, the main church offices moved to Houston. In 1963, the diocese opened the mansion to the public. Money from tours helped fund the UT medical school's Newman Center. This center was a place for Catholic students.
The house cost about $250,000 to build back then. Today, it is worth over $5.5 million. This shows how special and valuable it is.
The Galveston Historical Foundation now owns the Bishop's Palace. You can take self-guided tours there every day. A part of your admission fee helps keep this historic property beautiful.
Exploring the Palace: What's Inside?
The Bishop's Palace has four levels to explore. The lowest level is a raised basement. This is where the kitchen and servant areas used to be. Now, it holds the gift shop. Above the basement are three more formal floors.
First Floor: Grand Rooms
The first floor has many impressive rooms for guests and family life.
- Entryway: The main entrance where visitors arrived.
- Parlor: A formal living room for entertaining.
- Music Room: Where the family would play instruments and enjoy music.
- Rotunda Staircase: A grand, circular staircase that connects the floors.
- Library/Office: A quiet space for reading or work.
- Dining Room: Mrs. Gresham painted beautiful cherubs on the ceiling here.
- Conservatory: A room filled with plants, often with lots of natural light.
- Pantry: A small room for storing food and dishes.
- Kitchen: Originally a small warming kitchen, it was made larger by Bishop Byrne.
- Servant's Vestibule: This area had a dumbwaiter (a small elevator for food) and a separate staircase for servants.
- Coat Closet: Hidden behind the rotunda staircase, it even had a special sink from old train cars.
Second Floor: Family and Private Spaces
The second floor held bedrooms and more private family areas.
- Living Room: The Gresham family often relaxed here and listened to music, especially during hot summers.
- Bishop's Bedroom: This room was originally for one of the Gresham daughters. Bishop Byrne chose it for himself because it had a private balcony and good lighting. He even turned the closet into a bathroom.
- Chapel: This room was also a Gresham daughter's bedroom before. When the church bought the house, they added stained-glass windows. They also painted a fresco (a type of wall painting) of the four gospel writers on the ceiling. An altar and prayer kneelers were added too.
- Mr. Gresham's Room: The bedroom for Walter Gresham.
- Mrs. Gresham's Room: The bedroom for Josephine Gresham.
- Bathroom: This bathroom had a special tub with three faucets. One for hot water, one for cold, and one for rainwater!
- Guest/Governess Bedroom: A room for visitors or the children's governess.
Third Floor: Kids and Creativity
The third floor was mostly for the children and storage.
- Boys' Rooms: Where the Gresham sons slept.
- Mrs. Gresham's Art Studio: A creative space for Josephine Gresham.
- Additional Storage: Extra space for keeping things.
See also
