1859 Ashton Villa – Galveston

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      Built by James M. Brown, in 1859, Ashton Villa was the first of many. Not only was it the first house to ever be built on Broadway Boulevard, but it was also the first mansion to be built on the island and one of the first private brick residences in Galveston. Mr Brown came to Galveston in 1843. At …

1838 Menard Home – Galveston

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  One of the founders of the City of Galveston, Michel B. Menard arrived in Texas in 1829. He was born near Montreal in 1805 and entered the fur trading company of John Jacob Astor at the age of 14. Menard arrived in Nacogdoches in the 1830s and began speculating in Texas land. Because land was only granted to Mexican-born …

Garten Verein – Galveston

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      In February 1876, a group of German businessmen organized the Galveston Garten Verein (“garden club”) as a social club for family and friends. Only Germans or German speakers could hold stock in the club, but others could petition for membership. The group purchased the five-acre homestead of Robert Mills, a prominent Galveston businessman, and laid out the …