If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 560

 

 

 

 

 

Bishop’s Palace, Galveston, Texas

 

Printed by Texas Guides this unused postcard has a photograph of the Bishop’s Palace, also known as Gresham’s Castle, located in Galveston, Texas.  No photographer is credited but there is a blurb at the upper left corner on the reverse:  “Elegant Victorian home completed in 1893 after seven years of hand-crafted construction.  Built by Col. & Mrs. Walter Gresham, designed by prominent Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton, estimated cost $250,000.  Purchased by Archdiocese of Galveston in 1923 for the late Bishop Christopher E. Byrne’s residence.”

 

It is hard to think of this 19,082 square feet mansion being a private residence.  Today it is valued at about $5.5 million.  Made of stone this castle withstood the huge Galvestone hurricane of 1900.  The Greshams’s welcomed hundreds of storm survivors into their home.  Walter Greshman was a lawyer and politician and lived here with his wife and nine children. 

 

 

The handcrafted interior of some of the rooms in the home is shown in the pictures on these other postcards below.

 

 

Main staircase

 

The unused H.K. Barnett card above shows a pictures of the ornate man staircase.  It is a focal point of the entrance hallway.  The card is dated 1977 with BP-2 101014 at the bottom of the center line on the reverse.  It took 3 years to build and 61 craftsmen worked on it.  The Coat of Arms for the State of Texas is displayed above the gas-burning fireplace.  Near the newel post is the Gresham’s hand-carved calling card basket.

 

 

  The dome

Dated 1977 and a H.K. Barnett unused postcard it has BP-5, 101017 at the bottom of the center line on the reverse.  This dome rises 55 ft from the main hallway. 

 

The mantel  

Also a H.K. Barnett unused postcard this one has BP-7, 151157 at the bottom center line on the reverse.  Santo Domingo mahogany was used for the carved mantel.  The mantel was awarded the first prize in the Philadelphia World’s Fair of 1883.  It is one of 14 fireplaces in the home.

 

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston purchased the property in 1923 and it was the residence of Bishop Christopher E. Byrne and was situated across the street from the Sacred Heart Church.  When the diocese was moved from Galveston to Houston the house was opened to the public in 1963.  Proceeds from the tours help fund the University of Texas medical school’s Newman Center located in the basement of the building. 

 

 The dining room

The dining room is shown on this unused H.K. Barnett postcard with BP-9, 151159 at the bottom center line on the reverse.  Above the table is a French chandelier of gilded bronze and Baccarat crystal.  A massive, ornate sideboard is a prominent feature.  Floor-length windows flank the fireplace and serve as doorways into an adjacent Solarium.

 

The Bishop’s Palace was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.  Today the house is owned by the Galveston Historical Foundation.  Self-guided tours are available daily.  Restoration and preservation of the property is supported by a portion of the admission fee.

 

 For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop%27s_Palace,_Galveston