After the great hurricane of 1900 devastated Galveston Island, Texas, one of the few houses left standing was a glorious Italianate landmark. Built in 1859 for Texas hardware, banking and railroad tycoon James Moreau Brown, Ashton Villa is a vision of Gilded Age splendor.
The ornate Victorian design features deep eaves with carved supporting brackets, long, shuttered windows and graceful verandas topped by cast iron lintels. Brick walls 13-inches thick with an air space in the center protect it from the humid air on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Inside, the formal Gold Room is filled with family heirlooms and artwork. A grand central staircase leads to elegant family quarters above. During the Civil War, Ashton saw use as both a hospital for Confederate soldiers and headquarters for whichever general—Confederate or Union—happened to control the town at the time.
After the war, Brown returned with his stunningly beautiful daughter, Bettie, a free-spirited adventuress who is said to this day to haunt the Gold Room in a turquoise evening gown accented with an elaborate fan. Brown’s granddaughter sold the house in 1927, and for 40 years it was a business office and social center for the El Mina Shriners.
In 1968, rumors of demolition prompted the Galveston Historical Foundation to buy Ashton Villa and today, thanks in part to a partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Save America’s Treasures, and HGTV, this popular museum offers an intimate glimpse of an opulent and bygone era.
Sites in the 2004-2005 Restore America: A Salute to Preservation campaign.
WINDOWS MEDIA VIDEO
