Customer Reviews

Galveston Architecture Guidebook

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For at least the last fifty years, one author or another has made an attempt to write about the architecture of the multitude of commercial and residential buildings in Galveston.

As you might guess, some are better than others. Unfortunately many of the authors report hearsay as if it were fact, when there is no evidence of support.

I've lived in Galveston and studied and written its history for most of my life. (My latest book, "Bill Cherry's Galveston Memories" is available here at Amazon.com)

Ellen Beasley and Stephen Fox's "Architecture Guidebook" and Howard Barnstone's "The Galveston That Was" are the only two any student will need on the subject. When it comes to the city's architecture, they are the only ones I trust for accuracy.

It is nothing short of amazing that a city of 60,000 can have an architecture guide book this extensive written about it. Having said that, this is a wonderful guide. It hits every major area and is section quite nicely. It is perfect to take along as you visit this unique city. When I first picked this book up I didn't know what to expect, I was blown away at how extensive it was. I recommend this to anyone who's going to visit Galveston or who quite frankly just loves historic architecture. Galveston deserved a book like this and as someone who loves Galveston, I want to personally thank Ellen Beasley for this book.

Few smaller cities in America have been fortunate enough to have a guide like this created for them. Filled wirh great photographs and succinct histories, this architectural collection is invaulable for any visitor to Galveston or simply an admirer of architecture. For a more in depth look try "Clayton's Galveston".

Ellen Beasley's book is very well researched and very well presented. An educational and enjoyable read.

Frankly speaking, Galveston is a bit of the downtrodden Gulf Coast, made worse by Hurricane IKE. That doesn't mean it isn't crammed with hundreds of lovely Victorian (and a few Federal) buildings waiting to be discovered and restored by interested money from wealthy Houston! Hyperbole aside, this is the best guide to Galveston architecture yet published, and it's still quite relevant today.

Contrary to popular belief, not every building was lost in 1900. In fact, there are over 500 structures from before the big 1900 storm still standing today. This guide, written in familiar AIA format (though not actually sponsored by AIA) is a comprehensive survey of Galveston's historic structures. It's very well done. The building stock in Galveston is impressive, if somewhat decrepit, and this book captures all of it. It includes informative, brief essays and a small black & white photograph for each entry, and includes a nice balance of public and residential structures. Though a bit dated (it was published in 1996), things move at a snail's pace in Galveston, so it's about as accurate now as it was then. The only real difference a reader who visits Galveston may notice is that quite a few of the buildings that appear in disrepair in the book are now restored. Restoration is slow in this old haunt of Jean Laffite, but it is present nonetheless. Hurricane IKE destroyed the lovely canopy of live oaks, so man-made Galveston, for better or for worse, is that much more open to the eye than ever before.

Galveston deserves your attention. Buy this lovely book to discover why, and hope that the city may, someday, recover its natural beauty.