The Bishop’s Palace, a TroysArt photo
The crown jewel of the Galveston Historical Foundation is undoubtedly the Bishop’s Palace, also known as Gresham’s Castle. Located at Broadway and 14th Street in Galveston’s historic East End, the fabulous high Victorian style house is considered by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 100 most significant buildings in the USA.
Built by crazy rich Colonel Walter Gresham in 1892, it was designed by Galveston starchitect Nicolas Clayton. Constructed of stone, it withstood the great hurricane of 1900 and was refuge for hundreds of survivors after that disaster. In the 1920s it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston and became the residence of Bishop Christoper Byrne, thus the origins of moniker for which it has been commonly known.
The bishop converted one of the front bedrooms to a prayer chapel. The windows were replaced with the most resplendent stained glass depictions of saints.
The Bishop’s Palace (St. Peter), a TroysArt photo
I toured the mansion again yesterday, probably my 3rd visit. Architecturally it is a knock out! There is meticulous and astounding detail everywhere one looks. The house does not disappoint. However, for those interested in art and antiques, furnishings in the museum are sparse to non-existent. The historical foundation maintains a policy of not having any furniture on display that was not original to the residence of either the Greshams or the Bishop. Of course, that policy is just code for “until we raise $3 million for a new roof we can’t buy any curtains or furniture.”
Both guided and self-guided tours are available. And as many of my readers know, I love a self-guided tour. I can move around at my own pace without listening to the, often inaccurate, scripted ramblings of a docent; I can spend more time on the features that interest me and skip over the not so interesting aspects. The Bishop’s Palace offers little handsets with information available room to room.
Truly an American castle, the Library of Congress has classified the mansion as one of the most representative Victorian structures in the country.
I happened to drive by this place while exploring Galveston a couple of years ago. Of course, I had no idea what it was and I’m happy to know now! Especially about the tours. Thanks, Troy!