Isaac Heffron House facts for kids
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Isaac Heffron House
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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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Isaac Heffron House in 2016
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| Location | 1509 Postoffice St., Galveston, Texas |
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| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Isaac Heffron |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Part of | East End Historic District (ID75001979) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Designated NHLDCP | May 11, 1976 |
| Designated CP | May 30, 1975 |
The Isaac Heffron House is a two-story building in Galveston, Texas. You can find it at 1509 Postoffice Street. This house is part of the East End Historic District. Isaac Heffron, a famous builder in Galveston, built it in 1890. He was very active during the Victorian period. He also helped the city rebuild after the terrible 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Later, a man named T.J. Holbrook lived here. He was a Texas state senator for many years.
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Meet Isaac Heffron, the Builder
Isaac Heffron was born in Cardiff, Wales. This was either in 1853 or 1858. He moved to the United States in 1860. He settled down in Galveston, Texas.
Heffron started working in 1881. He was a stevedore, which means he loaded and unloaded ships. He worked for a company called Munn, Fry, and Company. Later, the company changed its name to Fry and Heffron. As Isaac Heffron became more experienced, he took on bigger building jobs. He even got important contracts from the City of Galveston. One big project was building a railroad. It included a trestle bridge that connected Galveston to La Porte, Texas.
Building Galveston's Sewer System
In the mid-1800s, Galveston had a big problem. The city did not have a good way to handle waste. Human waste was the biggest issue. This caused health problems for people living there.
In 1886, Isaac Heffron started the Galveston Sewer Company. The city hired his company to build a system. This system would lay pipes for draining surface water and waste. Homeowners could pay a fee to connect their houses. Their waste would then flow into the Galveston Bay.
Heffron kept expanding the sewer system. He first focused on a specific part of town. By 1899, the system had eight miles of pipes. It connected 430 homes and buildings. In 1892, the city gave Heffron's company a special agreement. This agreement allowed his company to install sewer pipes for 50 years.
A Big Debate About the Sewer System
Between 1896 and 1901, there was a big argument. Isaac Heffron and city officials disagreed. Many people in the city thought the sewer system should belong to the public. They believed the city, not a private company, should own it. Heffron felt his contract meant the city had to buy the system from him. Some city leaders thought the original agreement was not legal. They believed the city did not have to pay his company.
This debate went on for several years. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane made things even harder. Heffron used newspapers to share his side of the story. He wanted people to agree with him. Finally, in 1901, a court made a decision. The court ordered Galveston Mayor Walter C. Jones to pay Heffron $93,600. This was the full price for the sewer system.
The Heffron House at 1509 Postoffice
In October 1881, Isaac Heffron bought the property at 1509 Postoffice Street. There was already a one-story house on the land. It had been built before 1871. Isaac and his wife, Clotilde, lived in this house. In 1890, they tore it down. They then built a new two-story house in the same spot. They might have used some parts of the old building in the new house.
What the House Looks Like
The Isaac Heffron House, built in 1890, has two stories. It is a Victorian style house. It has four sections on the front. You can see turned columns and a large, three-part bay window that goes up two stories. The main door is in the middle.
Compared to other Victorian houses in the area, this house has simpler details. It was built on a small city lot. This limited how many fancy Victorian features Heffron could add. For example, it doesn't have turrets or porches that wrap all the way around.
The first floor has tall windows. They are typical of houses from the late 1800s. These windows show that the porch was used as an extra living space. This was common in the subtropical climate of Galveston. An old map from 1899 shows a back porch. This was common for houses facing north. It helped catch cool breezes from the Gulf of Mexico.
There is no proof that Heffron hired an architect. But you can see his personal touch as a builder. For example, there is a concrete balustrade (a fancy railing) at the front of the property.
The Heffron Family Home
The Heffron family lived in the house during the 1890s. Isaac's career grew, and he became wealthier. In 1899, he asked an architect named Charles W. Bulger to design a new house. This new house was at 511 17th Street. The family moved there in 1901. Isaac Heffron passed away in his office in 1928.
Thomas J. Holbrook's Time in the House
After moving, Isaac Heffron still owned the house at 1509 Postoffice. He rented it out for a few years. Then, he gave the house to his daughter, Clotilde, and her husband, Andrew C. Falligant. The Falligant family lived there until 1913. They then sold the house to Thomas J. Holbrook.
Thomas J. Holbrook was born in 1878 in Salado, Texas. He worked as a credit manager in Galveston from 1907 to 1919. After living in Dallas for two years, he came back to Galveston in 1921. He was then elected as a state senator in 1922.
Holbrook was a state senator from 1922 to 1939. During this time, he worked on important projects. He helped build a causeway in 1930. This causeway connected Galveston Island to the mainland. He also worked to add a special hospital for mental health to the University of Texas Medical Branch. The house at 1509 Postoffice was his home in Galveston during all these years.
Later Owners and Saving the House
In 1940, Holbrook sold the house to Edmund Cordray. Cordray was a pharmacist who had a business nearby. He used the house as a rental property until he died in 1965. The house had several different owners in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1990, new owners started a big project to fix up the house. They replaced damaged parts of the porch. They used materials from another old house that was being torn down. They also removed paint from the inside wood. They replaced damaged wood on the outside with matching materials. The current owners bought the house in 2010. In 2016, they successfully had the house listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. This means it is an important historical place.
