Willis-Moody Mansion
Also known as: Moody Mansion and Museum
Why it's listed
Built between 1893 and 1895 on Broadway, Galveston's most fashionable street, this four-story mansion was commissioned by Narcissa Willis, widow of merchant and banker Richard S. Willis. Local architect William H. Tyndall designed it in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with rounded arches, turrets, heavy limestone trim against pressed brick, a wide porch and a porte-cochere. The New York firm Pottier, Stymus & Co. designed the interiors, giving each first-floor room its own style, from Rococo to Colonial Revival. W. L. Moody, Jr. bought the house in 1900 and later finished the ballroom around 1910. Hurricane Alicia damaged the house in 1983, and a seven-year restoration followed, using research, paint analysis and plaster castings from original molds. The house opened as the Moody Mansion and Museum in April 1991. The nominated property covers the mansion and its three lots; the pergola and the lost outbuildings are not included.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the mansion as a fine example of late Victorian Romanesque architecture, with original interiors designed by the New York firm Pottier, Stymus & Co. It is also tied to the Willis family's prominence in Galveston commerce and to the later Moody family ownership. A restoration after Hurricane Alicia in 1983 returned it to its 1890s appearance.
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 94000410, listed May 13, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2618 Broadway, Galveston |
|---|---|
| County | Galveston County |
| Listed | May 13, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000410 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William H. Tyndall (architect); interiors by Pottier, Stymus & Co. of New York |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Romanesque (Richardsonian Romanesque) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored over seven years after Hurricane Alicia (1983) and opened to the public as the Moody Mansion and Museum in April 1991; currently used as a museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.29947, -94.79617 (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 94000410.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895349
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.