{"nrhp_refnum":"78002931","name":"Sweeney-Royston House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2402 Ave. L","address_restricted":false,"city":"Galveston","county":"Galveston County","state":"TX","lat":29.298077887000034,"lon":-94.79243957399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-09-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A story-and-a-half raised Victorian cottage at 2402 Avenue L in Galveston, Texas, completed in 1885 and attributed by local tradition to architect Nicholas Clayton.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an excellent example of the raised Victorian cottage popular in Galveston in the late 19th century. It has distinctive details such as a mariner's wheel motif in the porch balustrade, triangular gables and a faceted tower. It was built by businessman J.M. Brown as a honeymoon cottage for his daughter and is linked to Judge Mart Royston and shipping executive Thomas Sweeney.","narrative":"Built in 1885 at 2402 Avenue L in Galveston, this story-and-a-half raised Victorian cottage is framed largely in cypress and is regarded as an outstanding example of the Gulf Coast raised cottage. A wide stair rises to a symmetrical veranda with turned columns and a balustrade shaped like a ship's helm. Triangular gables, a faceted side tower, pierced zinc fretwork, five chimneys, tall windows and stained glass add distinctive character. Merchant J.M. Brown built and furnished it as a honeymoon cottage for his daughter Matilda and her husband, shipping businessman Thomas Sweeney. Local tradition credits Nicholas Clayton, Galveston's leading nineteenth-century architect, though no plans have been found. Judge Mart Royston and his sisters lived there from 1911 until 1954, and the house later passed through several owners, including an architect who used it as an office. The basement was left unfilled after the 1900 storm. The house remains a private residence and has been opened for educational tours.","period_of_significance":"1885","architect_builder":"Attributed to Nicholas Clayton","architectural_style":"Gulf Coast raised cottage / raised Victorian cottage","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence; described as little changed since 1885, with a carport added and some roofing and ceiling materials replaced.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.36698-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/9720/40972048/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/78002931.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002931/a76631c72a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002931/a76631c72a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Jim Evans","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweeney-Royston_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jim Evans</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweeney-Royston_House.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"96000539","name":"Silk Stocking Residential Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/silk-stocking-residential-historic-district-96000539/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972048","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002066"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/galveston-county/sweeney-royston-house-78002931/"}