Ashton Villa
Also known as: El Mina Shrine Temple; Brown,J.M.,House
Why it's listed
Ashton Villa is a three-story brick house at 2328 Broadway in Galveston, built in 1858 for J. M. Brown. Brown, born in New York City in 1821, worked on the Erie Canal and as a master bricklayer before reaching Galveston in the early 1840s. He prospered in the hardware business, served as president of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railway, and helped form the First National Bank of Galveston. The house has a slightly projecting central portico, a flat roof with deep eaves on paired brackets, and arched upper openings. A large wing was added on the east in the 1890s, and later additions were made at the rear. During the Civil War the house served as headquarters for Confederate and later Union forces. Supporting material describes it as one of the few Italian villa houses in the South, with ironwork from England and carved interior woodwork from France. The Shriners bought it in 1928 and have used it as their meeting place since. The Texas State Historical Survey Committee designated it a landmark in 1967.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its architecture and its association with Colonel J. M. Brown, a wealthy Galveston businessman, railway president and bank founder. It served as headquarters for both Confederate and Union forces during the Civil War. Supporting material calls it one of the few Italian villa houses in the South and the first of Galveston's great palaces, and says its plans are preserved in the Library of Congress.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 69000204, listed October 28, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2328 Broadway, Galveston |
|---|---|
| County | Galveston County |
| Listed | October 28, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000204 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1858) |
| Architectural style | Italianate (Italian or Mediterranean villa), per the supporting material |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed condition is fair; the building is occupied and has been used as a meeting place by the El Mina Shrine Temple since 1928, with preservation work noted as in progress or considered. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 29.30027, -94.79296 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 69000204.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4806081
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.