The East End Historic District

Description

Located directly adjacent to downtown, was Galveston’s first residential neighborhood. It became Galveston’s first locally-designated historic district in 1971. The original 40 block historic district was expanded to the east and north in 1994. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States.

History

The densely populated East End suffered significant damage in the Great Fire of 1885, with houses destroyed from 16th to 20th streets and from the Strand past Broadway. The tight grid pattern of lots and the existence of multiple alley residences made fighting the fire difficult within the neighborhood. Rebuilding was swift, with entire blocks rebuilt in 1886. This provided ample opportunity for local architects such as Nicholas Clayton, Alfred Muller and George Stowe, to design elegant Victorian residences throughout the district.