Moody Mansion

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Moody Mansion, built in 1895 and located at 2618 Broadway Boulevard, is a 31-room Romanesque jewel. The home is named for William Lewis Moody, Jr., an American financier and entrepreneur in the cotton business who bought the home from Galveston socialite Narcissa Willis.

The architect for the home was William H. Tyndall, an Englishman, He used elements from different cultures and periods, leading to an eclectic appearance. The interiors were designed by Potter & Stymus, a famous New York firm of the time that also worked for such clients as Thomas Edison, William Rockefeller and President Ulysses S. Grant.

After the death of Willis in 1899, the house was offered for sale. But, after Great Storm of 1900 in September, few bidders stepped forward. However, shortly after the storm, the home was sold to William Lewis Moody, Jr. for the sum of $20,000 (vs. its $100,000 value). And, Moody and his family were all moved in time to celebrate Christmas the same year.

Many technological advances of the period iare present in the four-story mansion, including a one-passenger elevator, a dumbwaiter, speaking tubes in the pantry for communicating with the kitchen staff in the basement, heated drying racks in the laundry room, and lighting fixtures using both gas and electricity. The house also has its own rainwater cistern.

Members of the Moody family resided in the home until 1986. Since then, it was been turned into a historic museum commemorating the Moody family. And, on Many 13, 1994, Moody Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places

To find out about available tours, their dates and times, visit www.moodymansion.org/.

The Vintage Suitcase

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A few nights ago, I attended a White Elephant Party at the home of my friend, Marlee. It was another gathering of The Mermaids; this time to celebrate the holidays together in a fun and festive way.

As the party was winding down, Marlee brought out an old brown suitcase that had been in her family for years. She said she was getting rid of things she no longer needed.

Then, she commented, “Bev, before I sell or donate this suitcase, I wanted to ask if you might like to have it - to use it as a decoration in The Bungalow. I know you love antiques.”

I recognized it immediately as a vintage Samsonite bag. Manufactured in the 1950s, perhaps. The bag was in great shape - inside and out. So, without hesitation and with much appreciation, I claimed the suitcase as my own and carried it home.

One might think this is the end of a sweet little story, but it isn’t.

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The next morning, while drinking my first cup of coffee of the day, I walked past the refrigerator, and, for the first time, noticed the featured photo on the December page of my 2018 calendar.

Oh my…there on the page was a picture of an old brown suitcase. A Samsonite suitcase. Made in the 1950s, perhaps. Exactly like the one Marlee had given me just the night before!

Admittedly, I didn’t know what to think about this uncanny coincidence. It was a bit unsettling, at first. But, after awhile, it didn’t seem strange at all.

Instead, it reminded me, in a most serendipitous way, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, at exactly the right time. And, apparently, I am acquiring special things I’m simply supposed to have.












Festival of Lights

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My children and grandkids were in town this past weekend, and we exhausted ourselves checking out many of Galveston’s annual holiday events. And, as you might assume, Moody Gardens’ Festival of Lights was at the top of our list of must-do activities.

The Festival of Lights takes visitors around the Moody Gardens property and by the shores of Galveston Bay on a one-mile trail. The pathway features festive holiday scenes at each and every turn - all brilliantly illuminated with more than one million lights and accented by the delightful sounds of holiday music.

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The Festival of Lights also features Galveston’s only outdoor ice skating rink, food and drink vendors , and live music on multiple stages.

The weather on the night we went to see the lights was perfect. Skies were clear, and the temps were only slightly chilly. Like many others, we donned our “ugly” Christmas sweaters and left the winter coats, hats and gloves at home!

Sunday Brunch

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December - my favorite month of the year - has gotten off to a great start. Yesterday, I enjoyed the annual festivities of Dickens on The Strand and, today, I celebrated my approaching birthday with my island girlfriends, “The Mermaids.” and by treating ourselves to Sunday Brunch at the historic Hotel Galvez on The Seawall.

Sunday Brunch at this beautiful Wyndham hotel is a longstanding island tradition. It is the place to go to celebrate special occasions. The unmatched beauty and ambiance of the hotel’s dining rooms combined with the offerings on its buffet, make this Sunday Brunch a must-do for just about everybody - including my friends and me!

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For starters, the buffet features an array of fresh fruit, cheeses, breads and pastries, as well as eggs Benedict, made-to-order omelets and a waffle station. (Always, I opt for the custom omelet.)

As you might expect at a luxury hotel in Galveston, there is always an extensive seafood station, offering smoked salmon, cocktail shrimp, crab claws and oysters. One of the hotel’s iconic ice sculptures always takes centerstage here.

For the pasta lovers, and I think that’s just about everybody, there is a pasta station too. It features a variety of red and Alfredo sauces and the popular add-ons: veggies, shrimp and chicken.

The hotel’s carving station offers prime rib every week but also offers either bourbon glazed ham, rack of lamb or turkey, depending on the season.

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Another popular item on the brunch menu is the hotel’s award-winning seafood gumbo. (Few come for Sunday Brunch without opting for at least a small cup of the gumbo. You might say, the gumbo here is must-have!)

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To complete the meal in the sweetest way,, there is a dessert buffet with an ice cream station and a wide selection of other favorites, including bread pudding, pecan pie, cheesecake, lemon bars, cobblers and cookies - and so much more!

And, if that were not enough, Sunday Brunch comes with bottomless glasses of champagne and mimosas throughout the dining experience. That made lifting our glasses to toast my birthday, our friendship and another great time in Galveston so very festive and fun!

About the Hotel Galvez
Hotel Galvez, built in 11911, is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast. The hotel was named the Galvez, honoring Bernardo de Gálvez, 1st Viscount of Galveston, for whom the city was named. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 1979. To learn more, visit www.HotelGalvez.com/.

Hendley Row

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Often, when I’m in Galveston with plenty of leisure time, I like to go downtown, into the Historic Strand District, and take a closer look at some of the landmark buildings. Usually, I take a few notes about the facades and interiors of the buildings and, afterwards, return to The Bungalow, go online and seek information about the significance of these treasured old buildings.

Today was one of those days, and Hendley Row was my destination of choice.

Though I have been over to Hendley Row dozens of times over the years to browse and shop at Hendley Market, I have never focused on the building itself. Because of its significance, it is time I did.

Hendley Row is a three-story, Greek Revival-style building, located in the 2000 block of The Strand. It is composed of four adjoining structures, all built in the years 1858-1859. Three of these are the oldest surviving commercial structures in Galveston. The building on the far west side, however, burned in 1866 and was rebuilt in 1867.

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The four buildings have common walls and a uniform brick facade, with rusticated granite quoins marking the separations between the four buildings. Granite plaques in the center of the upper story of each section contain the initials of the four original deed holders, Thomas M. League, Francois Gilbeau, Joseph J. Hendley and William Hendley, as well as the date of the building.

During the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces used the building. During the three-month Federal occupation of Galveston in 1862, Union troops used the building’s roof as their lookout spot. When the Confederate forces retook the port, they also used the Hendley roof to observe enemy troops and naval movements.

During reconstruction, the U.S. Commander at Galveston made the row his headquarters. In 1880, the United States Army Corps of Engineers had its headquarters here.

After the Civil War, prosperity returned to the island city. Before and after the turn of the century, the buildings in Hendley Row were home to banks, lawyers and other businesses.

In the 1970s, the two buildings on the west side of the row were fully restored. But, little by little the buildings on the east side fell into decay, and were left empty for nearly 15 years.

Fortunately, in early 2012, George Mitchell and the Mitchell family added the two east bays of Hendley Row to its Mitchell Historic Properties (MHP) portfolio. For many years, this portion of the building housed Demack & Co., a produce wholesaler that closed in 1999.

The stabilization and rehabilitation of the eastern half of the Hendley complex began almost immediately. The rehabilitation begun the revitalization of the surrounding edge of The Strand District. Construction work included extensive masonry and structural repair, restoration of historic windows, partial elevation of the ground level floors to ameliorate flooding issues and construction of a small egress stair addition at the rear.

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In February 2017, the Hendley Building was recognized by Preservation Texas at its 2017 Honor Awards Ceremony and Reception in Waco, Texas. The recipients of this award are recognized for successful efforts to save irreplaceable and authentic endangered historic places in Texas.

Fittingly, the offices of the Galveston Historical Foundation, founded as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871, is now located in this building - so too is its popular gift shop, Eighteen Seventy One.