Best-Lucas House
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Catherine Best purchased this site in February 1866. In July of that year, sister-in-law Anne Best, wife of Louis Best, bought the improved lot from Catherine and her husband, William, a carpenter by trade. More improvements had been made by 1871, when the property was sold to Catherine and Thomas Lucas, a noted brickmason in Galveston. Alfred and Elizabeth Pierson bought the house in 1882, and it changed hands several times over the next decades, often serving as rental housing. Slated for demolition in the 1980s, it was purchased and rehabilitated. Today it exhibits its original Greek Revival influences, a three-bay front porch, gabled windows and many of its interior features. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Catherine Best bought this Galveston lot in 1866, and within years the improved property passed among a series of tradespeople, including her carpenter husband and later the noted brickmason Thomas Lucas. It changed hands repeatedly over the following decades, often serving as rental housing, until it was slated for demolition in the 1980s and rescued through restoration. Today it displays its original Greek Revival details — a three-bay porch, gabled windows, and period interior features.
Why it matters
The Best-Lucas House preserves the modest craftsmanship of Galveston's working builders and the preservation movement that saved such homes from the wrecking ball.
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Related people
- · Catherine Best
- · Thomas Lucas
Themes & tags
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