Galveston and APT

For better or worse, Galveston was founded and grew on the narrow barrier island that protects the bay from the relentless waves of the Gulf of Mexico. The bay was home to the nomadic Karankwa, a base for the pirate Jean Lafitte, and explored by Cabeza de Vaca. The town was named for Bernardo de Galvez during Spanish rule. Texas became a republic in 1836 and Galveston grew rapidly as a commercial port, and as a center for banking and trade. By the 1880s, having survived Texas’ unionization, secession during the Civil War, and the trials of Reconstruction, it was one of the leading cotton ports and financial cities in the United States. The Strand, “The Wall Street of the South”, has many grand buildings, several by local architect Nicholas Clayton. The city boasted many Texas ‘firsts.’ From post office, private bank, telegraph, gas lights, electricity, cotton compresses, telephone exchange, national bank, chain newspaper, electric street cars, to medical school and cathedral, Galveston led the way.

The wealth and the bustle came to a sudden and tragic stop during the night of September 8, 1900 when the island was struck by a massive hurricane that killed more than 6,000 people and destroyed two thirds of the city’s buildings. Galveston refused to die after The Great Storm. It constructed a massive seawall, and endured seven years of sand being pumped onto the city to raise the grade and reduce the impact of future storms. The economy of the island changed from a trading port on Galveston Bay to a freewheeling playground on the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the business moved to Houston, and many of the great buildings were abandoned.

Publication of “The Galveston That Was” in 1966 drew attention to this heritage, and acted as a catalyst for renewal of the Strand area. Galveston now boasts five districts on the National Register of Historic Places. You will see survivors of the storm on our field sessions, and meet in one of the heroic gestures of the rebuilding, the Hotel Galvez, which opened its doors on the newly constructed Seawall Boulevard in 1911.

Today Galveston is a gulf-side playground, a center for education, research and medicine, and a vibrant heritage tourism and conference venue. It is still a port for shipping, cruise lines, and off-shore oil, and the famous shrimp fleet is still housed at Pier 19. History is being used as well as enjoyed, and APT conference attendees will find it a rich learning environment.

Who Should Attend?

• Architects, landscape architects, engineers, and conservators
• Building managers and owners
• Planners and cultural resource managers
• Historic Preservation Officers and government officials
• Historians and architectural historians
• Contractors
• Anyone with an interest in preservation technology

The Association for Preservation Technology International is a registered provider with the AIA Continuing Education System (AIA/CES). This program is registered for over 20 AIA Learning Unit Hours, many of which fulfill hours of Health, Safety, and Welfare.