Juneteenth

in
juneteenthmarker-740x987.jpg

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and let them know the Civil War had ended. Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.

Granger’s announcement is, perhaps, the most significant
historical event ever to take place in Galveston.

A segment from the order issued by en. Gordon Granger. (National Archives/National Archives )

A segment from the order issued by en. Gordon Granger. (National Archives/National Archives )

The proclamation was read by Granger at three Galveston locations - at the Osterman Building on The Strand, where the Union Army set up its headquarters after the Civil War; at the Galveston County Courthouse, 722 21st Street; and at Ashton Villa, 2300 Broadway.

Historians tell us that, upon hearing the good news, the freed slaves in Galveston headed over to the “Colored Church” to celebrate. That historic structure is now the historic Reedy Chapel AME Church.

Juneteenth received its name by combining June and 19. The day is sometimes called Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

Juneteenth was originally celebrated by families coming together to pray. As part of some celebrations on this day, former slaves and their descendants, would make annual pilgrimages back to Galveston.

This nine-foot-tall statue, celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday, was erected in 2006 on the grounds of Ashton Villa.

This nine-foot-tall statue, celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday, was erected in 2006 on the grounds of Ashton Villa.

Over the years, Juneteenth has remained a major day of celebration in Galveston, with the city usually holding more than a dozen events, including barbecues, a beauty contest, musical performances and parades. Combined, the events usually attract more than 10,000 people. This year, because of the coronavirus epidemic, only a few special events are planned.

In 1979, Juneteenth became an official Texas holiday, thanks to the dedicated efforts of State Representative Albert (Al) Edwards of Houston. Since then, other states have followed in kind. Currently, efforts are underway in Congress to have Juneteenth declared a national holiday. Perhaps, by this time next year, it will be!

Powhatan House

in
260abd40330a88939d0a24c34fbc1345.jpg

The 1847 Powhatan House became the property of the Galveston Garden Club, its current owners, in 1965. Over time, the garden club restored the house to its 1893 appearance, including Victorian furnishings and a garden planted in oleanders.

The house, located at 3427 Ave O, is one of the oldest homes on the island and was among the first of a series of successful restorations in Galveston. These restorations became the focus of an active tourist industry, replacing the city’s waning trading activity. The Galveston Garden Club uses the house and grounds for its monthly meetings, for periodic fundraising sales and events and educational programs. It opens the house for use by civic organizations and private events rentals.

2017_0107winter2016-20170032.jpg

History of the House
The Powhatan House was built as the home of Col. John S. Sydnor, a prominent cotton merchant, early mayor of Galveston and financier. The Powhatan House is an unusually sophisticated example of Greek Revival architecture in Texas. The construction of the Powhatan House and its change in use over many years of occupancy mirrors the history of Galveston’s development and eventual decline as Texas’ leading mercantile and cultural center.

Sydnor named the 24-room house after the Indian tribes in his native Virginia. The original Powhatan House had a six-column portico, a characteristically Galvestonian raised basement or ground floor and five acres of gardens planted with oleanders which were to become a feature of the island's gardens.

The house itself was largely the result of Sydnor’s trading ventures. It was built of lumber, windows, sectional columns, hardware and well-crafted cyma recta mouldings shipped from Maine in the otherwise empty holds of cotton vessels returning from the northern ports. The fabrication of houses for Texans, in the seaports of Maine, was one of the dominant elements of trade balance between Galveston and the North. Two other houses still standing in Galveston, the Menard House and the Williams-Tucker House (see National Register submission “Samuel May Williams House” July 14, 1971) were also built of parts fabricated in Maine.

In 1866, Sydney sold the house to a Mr. Bolton, who attempted to operate schools and a military academy in the house’s spacious rooms. All of his efforts proved unsuccessful, however, and he converted the Powhatan to use as his private home.

In 1881 the house was purchased by the City of Galveston to use as the island’s first orphanage. In 1893, a new orphanage was built ,and the Powhatan House became the property of Carolyn Willis Ladd, who had the house moved from its original location between 21st and 22nd Streets and M and N Avenues, to its present location.

Under the supervision of the architect W.H. Tyndall, the house was divided into three sections and remodeled into three separate houses on contiguous lots. Each house was elevated on a 10-foot-high brick basement containing a kitchen and servants’ quarters.. The central portion continued to be known as the Powhatan House or the “Main House.” Tyndall extensively modified the interiors, replacing original mantels with Victorian pressed-brick facings, new staircases and a variety of diamond pane and two over two light windows.

In 1903 Charles Vedder, a prominent Galveston cotton merchant, purchased the main house, which had been only slightly damaged by the disastrous flood and hurricane of 1900. The Vedder family occupied the house at the time of the 1907 grade-raising. The Vedders lost their basement kitchen and breakfast room to the inundation of sand pumped from Galveston Bay. The Vedders added a wing to the east of the house to replace the buried rooms.

Vedder was appointed by Theodore Roosevelt as United States Cotton Commissioner and was a member of the Galveston Cotton Exchange, which, together with the Wharf Commission, virtually controlled all of Galveston’s trading activity. Vedder’s wife, Florence, was the granddaughter of General George Heath Flood, who had been U.S. Minister to the Republic of Texas in 1839.

In 1927, the British government leased the house for use as its consulate. In 1935 the Vedders sold the house to J.W. Oschman, who occupied it until 1960 when the Forrest Dyer family purchased it.

Five years later, the Powhatan House became the property of the Galveston Garden Club.


Beach Walk

in
Early morning at the beach on Galveston Island

Early morning at the beach on Galveston Island

And I said to myself, “Let me go to the island. Let me wake to the light of a bright blue sky and a cool, refreshing breeze - one that lures me outside, to walk along the shore. Let me, like morning coffee, be bold and strong. Let me bask in the blessing of a dream come true.” 

No More Shed

in
Day One of deconstruction of the shed

When I purchased The Bungalow, I loved everything about it - except the storage shed that was - at some point in its history - added to the back of the house.

The shed was in bad shape. It leaked when it rained; it had rotted wood on the floor and walls, and it only had enough space in it to hold a water heater, a mop and a broom and a few beach toys.

To get into the backyard, one had to walk through the shed and take several concrete steps down to the lawn. The steps, by the way, had no safety railing. I worried all the time about a less-than-careful guest falling down the steps and suffering serious injury.

IMG_1050 copy.jpg
38284553_10156458504342180_4835138289071554560_n.jpg

So, from the get-go, my plan was to have the shed taken down and a good-size wood deck put in. Happy to report, my dream project became a reality this week.

De-construction of the shed and construction of the deck took two hard-working people about five very long days.

Once the work was (almost) completed, it took me only five minutes to move a couple of Adirondeck chairs and a side table off the lawn and position them up there. And, only another five minutes to start planning a gathering of friends to show off the deck!

Here, the deck is almost finished. Just needs the latticework added to its bottom to hide those ugly, unmovable concrete steps!

Here, the deck is almost finished. Just needs the latticework added to its bottom to hide those ugly, unmovable concrete steps!

96th Birthday

in

Today is the one-year anniversary of my purchase of The Bungalow and, to celebrate, I hosted an open house for my old friends in Houston and my new friends in Galveston. At the same, I wanted to mark ceremoniously the 96th birthday of my sweet little property on the island.

Though rain threatened to dampen our spirits this afternoon, it never came; and more than 50 invited guests traveled from near and far to get here. (I love my friends!)

31092034_10156200432447180_6482897046163423232_n.jpg
31062236_10156200432832180_3312624832780173312_n.jpg
31131593_10156200432242180_6621613288549515264_n.jpg
31174820_10156200433357180_3930795464193998848_n.jpg
31064262_10156200432342180_3030152762231881728_n.jpg
31081489_10156200432632180_2601282749964746752_n.jpg
31131213_10156200433652180_4983236277630402560_n.jpg
31055119_10156200432932180_1714571130909491200_n.jpg
31113914_10156200432412180_4059730000167829504_n.jpg

Among those on hand for the festivities was my son, Matt, who got into the spirit of things by showing up in 1920s-style beachwear. He knew I planned to wear my own 1920s-inspired ensemble and would so appreciate (and be amused by) his efforts!

Matt also brought his Echo to the party and instructed Alexa to “play 1920s music.” She did as instructed, and the background sounds could not have been more perfect.

Among my many guests was Gay Paratore, a well-known Texas artist, who now lives nearby, in Santa Fe, Texas. Gay grew up in The Bungalow, but she had not been back to the house since selling it in 2009. I had spoken to her on the phone a couple of times, but had not yet met her. I was delighted she accepted my invitation to come back to her family home and be part of the celebration!

While she was here, we toured The Bungalow together, going from room to room. In each, Gay remembered something special about the space, like the wall scones in the back bedroom (her old bedroom). She confirmed they were original to the house, but noted that she believed they were now hung upside down! (Gotta blame this misstep on the last person to paint that room.)

She also pointed to The Bungalow’s wooden rocker. After studying it for awhile, she said it had, indeed, belonged to her mother. She said, “I didn’t recognize it at first. Mom always had that rocking chair sitting out there on the front porch.”

I asked if Gay if she would now like to take back that rocker. She said, “No, it belongs here!”

Since then, though, that sweet rocker has been repositioned out on the front porch - exactly where it really belongs!

Gay also told me there used to be a garage and a huge pecan tree out int he back yard. Sadly, both are gone now.

What a bummer; I would have enjoyed the benefits of each of them!