Galveston's iconic Bishop's Palace set for renovation

The Bishop's Palace is perhaps one of the most recognizable buildings in Galveston, 60,000 people visit every year. The Bishop's Palace is perhaps one of the most recognizable buildings in Galveston, 60,000 people visit every year. Photo: Galveston Historical Foundation Photo: Galveston Historical Foundation Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Galveston's iconic Bishop's Palace set for renovation 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

A three quarters of a million dollar restoration project is underway at Galveston's iconic Bishop's Palace, perhaps the most recognizable building in the Gulf Coast city.

The building, originally the home of Josephine and Walter Gresham, is a national historic landmark. In its 123-year history, it has survived everything that has been thrown at it, including the 1900 hurricane – the worst natural disaster in American history.

"It has been a long time coming," said Denise Alexander, director of Museums at the Galveston Historical Foundation. "It is a big house and a big project."

"We've been tackling some smaller pieces throughout the years, then after we purchased the house last July we put in a plan to restore it," Alexander said.

First the stained glass in the chapel was restored, then the house's more than a hundred other windows were repaired. A full rewiring is taking place now as well as foundational work which included the removal of seven palm trees.

"The biggest difference people will notice is all the windows are being painted back to their original color. They've been beige, now they are going back to a really deep red," Alexander said.

Interior rooms are also being painted back to their original colors.

"We are very excited to see some long-needed restoration work underway," states Dwayne Jones, Galveston Historical Foundation's Executive Director via a news release. "The Gresham House tells an extraordinary story of the island's rich history and architecture. It's a magnificent building that we are proud to own and manage."

The Bishop's Palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the City, according to the foundation. It attracts around 65,000 visitors a year, many, people who have been coming for decades now returing with their children and grandchildren.

No scaffold will be erected with all the work being done on ladders. It's hoped the house will remain open for almost all of the two months left on the restoration timetable.

"The place is so big and on Broadway, it gets a lot of attention as the biggest house in the city," said Alexander. "Arguably it's the most architectural building in Galveston, some say in the entire state of Texas," Alexander said.

The work came at a cost of just under $750,000, half of which came from a National Park Service grant. Galveston Historical Foundation cash matched that with money from admission fees to pay for the project.

A second phase of work on a roof restoration will follow once the $1.5 million necessary to fund it has been raised.