Moody Mansion facts for kids
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Willis-Moody Mansion
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Moody Home taken in 2012
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 Willis-Moody Mansion
Location in Texas
Willis-Moody Mansion
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2618 Broadway Ave., Galveston, Texas |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | William H. Tyndall |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000410 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 13, 1994 |
The Moody Mansion, also known as the Willis-Moody Mansion, is a historic house in Galveston, Texas. You can find it at 2618 Broadway Avenue. This large house has thirty-one rooms and was finished in 1895. It was built in the Romanesque style, which means it has a grand, strong look with arches and sturdy walls.
The mansion is named after William Lewis Moody, Jr.. He was a very successful businessman who worked with cotton. He bought the house from Narcissa Willis, who first had it built. The Moody Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1994. Today, you can take tours of the house. It is also a popular place for special events like weddings.
Contents
Building a Grand Home
The idea for this mansion started in 1893. A woman named Narcissa Willis wanted a very grand home. She had always dreamed of building a beautiful house. After her husband passed away in 1892, Narcissa decided to make her dream come true. She had their old home torn down to build something much bigger and fancier on the same spot.
Narcissa Willis hired an English architect named William H. Tyndall. He designed the house to be unique. Tyndall mixed different styles and ideas from various cultures and time periods. This gave the mansion a very interesting and varied look. The inside of the house was designed by a famous New York company called Pottier & Stymus. They also worked for other important people like Thomas Edison and President Ulysses S. Grant.
The Moody Family Moves In
Narcissa Willis passed away in 1899. Her daughter, Beatrice, then put the mansion up for sale. Libbie Moody, who lived nearby, really wanted the house. She asked her husband, William Lewis Moody, Jr., to try and buy it.
In September 1900, a huge storm called the 1900 Galveston hurricane hit Galveston. This hurricane caused a lot of damage. Because of the storm, many people who wanted to buy the mansion changed their minds. William Moody, Jr. was able to buy the house for only $20,000. This was much less than its true value, which was over $100,000!
The Moody family, including William, his wife Libbie, and their four children, quickly moved in. They celebrated their first Christmas in the mansion in 1900.
From Home to Museum
Members of the Moody family lived in the mansion for many years. They stayed there until 1986. At that time, the house was turned into a historic museum. It helps people learn about the Moody family and how they lived.
Even after becoming a museum, hurricanes have continued to affect the house. In September 2008, Hurricane Ike caused the basement to flood. Some parts of the basement, like Libbie Moody's potting room and the old kitchen, were damaged. By July 2014, the basement was repaired and opened as the Galveston Children's Museum.
Inside the Mansion
The Moody Mansion is quite large, with thirty-one rooms and five bathrooms. When it was built, it had many advanced technologies for its time. These included a small elevator for one person and a dumbwaiter, which is a small elevator for moving food or items between floors. There were also speaking tubes in the pantry to talk to the kitchen staff downstairs. The laundry room even had heated racks to dry clothes! The lighting fixtures could use both gas and electricity. The house also had its own system to collect rainwater.
The mansion has four floors. The basement is on the ground floor. This is where the servants' quarters and the kitchen were located.
First Floor Rooms
- Entryway - The main entrance area is decorated with beautiful oak wood. It has a classic design. Above the stairs, there is a colorful stained-glass window. This window welcomes visitors. It has been well protected from storms because of where it is placed.
- Parlor - This room is very fancy, with gold and blue-grey silk on the walls. It has gold decorations on the plaster. Even though it was grand, the Moodys often entertained guests in the more comfortable library. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia damaged this room. It took ten years and a lot of money to fix it.
- Library - The library has pink silk walls with flower designs. You can also see these flower designs on the lights and door frames. The bookshelves are not too tall, making it easy to reach books and decorate the room.
- Ballroom - This large room was not finished when Narcissa Willis passed away. When the Moodys bought the house, they used it for storage. But when Mary Moody, the oldest daughter, was almost 18, her mother wanted to fix it up for Mary's coming-out party. William Moody, Jr. finished the room himself. He bought simple pine wood for the floor and made the decorations from molds. Only one mirror was bought for the room. Four years later, Mary Moody got married in this very ballroom.
- Conservatory - Libbie Moody loved to grow ferns in this sunny room. During parties, musicians would often play music from the conservatory.
- Dining Room - The dining room has dark mahogany wood panels. The ceiling is very heavy and has a special design. Strong steel beams hidden above support it. Above the fireplace, there is a picture of hunters and dogs. It looks like it's carved by hand, but it's actually painted plaster.
- Children's Dining Room - Narcissa Willis designed this room for children to eat in. She thought it would be good for kids who were still learning proper table manners. However, Libbie Moody found the room too small. So, all meals for the Moody family were eaten in the main dining room.
- Living Room - This room has a classic American style.
Second Floor Rooms
- Libbie's Room (Infirmary Room) - This room was designed for people who were sick, which was common in the 1800s. The air vents and fireplace in this room are separate from the rest of the house. This helped prevent sickness from spreading. It also has its own bathroom. Libbie Moody, when she was a child, asked her father if she could paint the dark wood in her room a lighter color. She thought the dark wood was too gloomy. Her father said yes, so the wood in this room is lighter than in other parts of the house.
- Bathroom - This bathroom connects Mary's room and the Master Bedroom. It has a toilet and a bidet. The bathtub has two shower heads, one for a single stream and another for a rainfall shower. This rainfall shower was very special for its time.
- Nursery Room - This room was meant for babies and young children. The fireplace has small spaces on each side to keep milk bottles warm. There is also a raised tub in the room. This allowed a nursemaid to easily watch the baby and any other children while giving a bath.
- Sewing Room - This room was also used for guests. Sometimes, William Lewis Moody, Jr. would sleep here during the summer when his family was away in Virginia. This room also has its own bathroom.
Third Floor Rooms
- Four additional guest rooms
- Auditorium
- Additional Storage
See also
