The Bishop’s Palace
Galveston, Texas
Lavishly designed in the Chateauesque style by Nicholas J. Clayton, a leading Southern architect of the late nineteenth century, the Bishop’s Palace of Galveston is recognized as one of the finest residences in Texas. Completed in 1892 for the family of Walter Gresham, prominent attorney, industrialist, and Congressman, it escaped the 1900 Storm’s deadly surge that devastated much of the thriving port and island city when debris from destroyed buildings formed a protective wall just a block away.
In the 1920s, the Roman Catholic Diocese acquired the house for the bishop’s residence, from which came its popular moniker. In the 1950s when the diocesan headquarters moved to Houston, the community landmark was converted to a museum, soon the most popular in a city whose economy had become based largely on tourism.
When the diocese decided to sell the property, many feared that the beloved building would be forever changed or even lost. In response, the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) secured a purchase option and planned an ambitious nationwide fundraising campaign to acquire the house. With a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Foundation commissioned JKOA to prepare an assessment report to promote the cause.
The JKOA project team used laser scanning to first map the complex contours of the richly detailed building, then conducted an extensive feature-by-feature evaluation of conditions. Information learned from historical research provided a more comprehensive understanding of changes to the house, as well as documenting historical and architectural merit. With the physical conditions of the building elements recorded and their hierarchy of artistic importance better understood, JKOA worked with craftsmen to develop a cost-efficient strategy for repair. The JKOA report, prepared to facilitate the fundraising effort, summarized the historical and architectural importance of the Bishop’s Palace, assessed its current condition, and provided a budget of projected costs. The campaign was successful and allowed GHF to purchase the Bishop’s Palace, securing the future for the building which, as one of the most important buildings in the state, is once again the most popular in the island city.
Project services
Historic preservation
Condition assessment
Laser scanning / documentation drawings
Historic research
Feasibility assessment
Cost estimating