The Cottage
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built about 1882 by cotton buyer Bernard Roensch. Late Greek revival architecture with high Victorian detail in gingerbread trim, ornate tower, stained glass panels and transoms, slate mantels, fine staircase. Has survived many storms. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built about 1882 for cotton buyer Bernard Roensch, this Galveston residence blends late Greek Revival lines with exuberant high Victorian detail, from gingerbread trim and an ornate tower to stained glass and slate mantels. It has weathered many of the fierce storms for which the island is famous. It was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.
Why it matters
Surviving houses like this preserve the Gilded Age prosperity of Galveston's cotton trade and the architectural ambition of a port city that repeatedly rebuilt after disaster.
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Related people
- · Bernard Roensch
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Lockhart House
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This Queen Anne residence began before 1889 as a modest one-story cottage and was transformed around 1894 by raising the original section to a second floor over a new ground level. Its owner, William B. Lockhart, was a son-in-law of Walter Gresham — builder of Galveston's famed Bishop's Palace — and rose to prominence as a county and federal judge, as did his son John after him. The house stands as a survivor of Galveston's Gilded Age prosperity.
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Isaac H. and Henrietta Kempner House
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Built in 1888 for Galveston real estate agent Frederick William Beissner and his wife Mary, this Victorian home was designed by local architect William H. Roystone in the elaborate Eastlake manner. Its turned posts, jigsawn balustrades, floral motifs, corbelled chimney, and imbricated shingles crowned by a widow's walk show the ornamental exuberance of Galveston's Gilded Age prosperity. The house stayed in the Beissner family until 1913.