East End Historic District

East of Galveston's downtown and beside the University of Texas Medical Branch, this district covers about 150 acres of mostly residential streets. It includes 32 complete city blocks and parts of 20 others. Roughly 35 buildings date from the Greek Revival period, 333 from the late Victorian era, and 95 from 1900 to 1917. Houses range from large mansions to small cottages and shotgun houses. Architect Nicholas Clayton designed many of them, and Alfred Muller, George Dickey and Brother Jiminez also worked here. Galveston was once the leading port in Texas, and the district records the wealth of its merchants, shippers, lawyers and industrialists. Its significance lies in the continuity of its blocks, where dwellings relate in material, texture and scale. The Gresham house, known as the Bishop's Palace, is the most prominent Victorian example. The area received historic zoning protection in 1970 after demolitions linked to medical school expansion. Residents formed an association in 1972 to address threats such as proposed development and a new access road.