Ashton Villa, 1859
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Mediterranean style architecture. European materials. Confederate and Federal headquarters in Civil War. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Completed in 1859, Ashton Villa is a stately Galveston mansion built of imported European materials in an ornate Mediterranean style. During the Civil War the grand house served in turn as headquarters for both Confederate and Federal forces occupying the island city. It survives as one of the earliest brick residences in Texas and a showpiece of antebellum Gulf Coast wealth.
Why it matters
As a mansion commandeered by both armies, Ashton Villa embodies Galveston's strategic place in the Civil War and the prosperity of the antebellum port that built it.
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