Lyceum of Galveston Island
A Galveston historic landmark, the original Lyceum was built in the 1840’s and served as a philosophical meeting center and entertainment venue for the Galveston Island community. Upon purchase by the First Lutheran Church in Galveston in 1854, the Lyceum then became the worship center for the church, and the congregation also put it to use as the first public school in Galveston (students were charged $1 per year for tuition).
Long recognized as a center of culture in Galveston, the Lyceum Hall at the corner of 24th and Winnie Streets was the original site for one of Texas’ oldest German Lutheran Churches – the First Evangelical Lutheran Church. Built in the 1840’s, the Lyceum still sits on the church grounds and is adjacent to the present Sanctuary, separated by a beautifully landscaped wrought iron-gated courtyard.