The Maas House
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A fine cypress structure with ornate woodwork, this house was built in 1886 by Maxwell (1845-1906) and Sarah Davis Maas for their family of nine children. A Galveston-born nephew of the musical composer Offenbach, Maas was a merchant and then county tax collector in 1904-06, selling the house in 1911 and scattering widely, the heirs are still represented in local civic leadership. In 1972 the house was restored by Mrs. Pat Berntsen. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1886 of cypress with ornate woodwork, this house sheltered the large family of Maxwell and Sarah Davis Maas and their nine children. Galveston-born Maas, a nephew of the composer Offenbach, worked as a merchant and later served as county tax collector before selling the home in 1911. It was restored in 1972.
Why it matters
The Maas House reflects the craftsmanship and cosmopolitan mercantile families of Gilded Age Galveston, then a leading Gulf port and commercial center.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Maxwell Maas
- · Sarah Davis Maas
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Clarke-Jockusch Home
Galveston, TX
This grand Victorian home was raised in 1895 by shipping figure Captain Charles Clarke during Galveston's heyday as a great Gulf port. Its unusual double brick walls let it withstand the catastrophic 1900 hurricane and later storms, and neighbors sheltered inside it many times. In 1928 it passed to grain exporter Julius Jockusch, who served as a consul abroad.
Sonnentheil Home
Galveston, TX
Built in 1886-87 for German immigrant and dry-goods merchant Jacob Sonnentheil, this Galveston home was likely designed by Nicholas J. Clayton, the island city's most celebrated architect. Its blend of Eastlake, Gothic, and Italianate details—crowned by a finely crafted double gallery—reflects the wealth and cosmopolitan taste of Galveston during its heyday as a great Gulf port. Sonnentheil, who had served the Confederacy, ran a wholesale house on the bustling commercial artery of The Strand.
Maud Moller House
Galveston, TX
This late Victorian home, built in the mid-1890s, was owned by Maud J. H. Moller, who with her husband Jens moved in prominent Galveston business and political circles at the height of the island's cotton-port prosperity. Cotton exporter and Swiss Consul Ulrich Muller later lived here as well. Its curving porch stair, Queen Anne columns, and corner pavilion capture the ornate confidence of Gilded Age Galveston.
Trube House
Galveston, TX
Built in 1890 for John Clement Trube, a young immigrant from Kiel, Denmark, this whimsical home was styled after a Danish castle by architect Alfred Muller. Its solid brick walls, finished in Belgian cement, have weathered generation after generation of Gulf hurricanes on Galveston Island. Remarkably, the house has remained in the Trube family that first raised nine children within its towered rooms.