Heidenheimer-Hunter Building
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1878 as a commercial venture by Samson Heidenheimer (d. 1891), this building was first occupied by the George Seeligson wholesale grocery business. It was leased to H. Marwitz & Co. in 1880. Owned by Hermann Marwitz, the company did business as ship chandlers and wholesale grocers, and remained in operation here until about 1900. Heinrich Mosle & Company, another large wholesale grocery business, next rented the building. Heinrich Mosle (1864-1921), founder of the United Steamship Company, established a direct trade route between Galveston and Latin America. The Mosle Company occupied the building until 1919. In 1920 Galveston native Fred F. Hunter bought the building. It was leased to the C. J. Sweeney Sporting Goods Company until 1923, when Hunter's own business moved into the structure. His printing and stationery firm remained at this location until the 1970s. The Italianate style, thee-story stuccoed masonry commercial structure features Hood molds, pilasters and surfaces scored to resemble stone. An original ornamental cornice was removed, possibly as a result of the 1900 Galveston storm. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1987
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Raised in 1878 during Galveston's heyday as the great port of Texas, this Italianate commercial block passed through a parade of wholesale grocers, ship chandlers, and steamship men — including Heinrich Mosle, who opened a direct trade route between Galveston and Latin America. Its stuccoed masonry, hood molds, and pilasters, scored to mimic cut stone, reflect the confident mercantile architecture of the Gilded Age waterfront. An ornamental cornice was lost, likely to the catastrophic 1900 storm.
Why it matters
The building is a survivor of Galveston's era as the busiest port west of New Orleans, when the island city drove Texas commerce.
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Related people
- · Samson Heidenheimer
- · Hermann Marwitz
- · Heinrich Mosle
- · Fred F. Hunter
Themes & tags
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