{"nrhp_refnum":"79002942","name":"First Presbyterian Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1903 Church St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Galveston","county":"Galveston County","state":"TX","lat":29.304487522000045,"lon":-94.78884551899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-01-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large stuccoed brick Norman Romanesque Revival church at the southwest corner of Church (Avenue F) and Nineteenth Streets in Galveston, Texas. The chapel was built 1872-1876 and the sanctuary was finished in the 1880s, with the church dedicated in 1889.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an outstanding example of the Norman phase of Romanesque Revival architecture. It was also the first Texas project of Nicholas J. Clayton, who became the state's leading 19th century architect. Its surviving interior detail and Tiffany window add to its architectural value.","narrative":"Standing at the corner of Church and Nineteenth Streets in Galveston, this stuccoed brick church is an interpretation of the Norman Romanesque Revival style. Construction began with a chapel in 1872, completed in 1876. Work on the sanctuary followed in 1883, with the exterior finished in 1886 and the interior, designed by George E. Dickey of Houston, in 1888. The church was dedicated in 1889 after spending between $80,000 and $90,000, much of it raised by the congregation's women. Its front is flanked by asymmetrical towers and unified by repeated rounded arches and hood molds. Inside, a dark pine ceiling, full-length stained glass windows and a genuine Tiffany window remain. The design came from Jones and Baldwin of Memphis, and Nicholas J. Clayton supervised construction. This was his first Texas project, and he went on to become the state's premier 19th century architect, which is the main reason the building was recognized.","period_of_significance":"1872-1888","architect_builder":"Jones and Baldwin (plans); Nicholas J. Clayton, supervising architect; George E. Dickey (sanctuary interior); John Parry (brickwork); W. G. Crookshank and N. S. Sabell (carpentry)","architectural_style":"Norman Romanesque Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition; occupied and in religious use. Alterations include a modern classroom building enclosing the southern chapel facade and covered original stencilling.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.914633-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/92/9719/40971992/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/79002942.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002942/64322694b9-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002942/64322694b9-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"i_am_jim","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Presbyterian_Church_Galveston.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">i_am_jim</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Presbyterian_Church_Galveston.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971992","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presbyterian_Church_(Galveston,_Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5453573"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/galveston-county/first-presbyterian-church-79002942/"}