Things to do / Travel Guide
Texas has an abundance of attractive 18th- and 19th-century architecture in every town center, big and small, and the people of Texas have made efforts to restore and maintain these beautiful buildings. There are, however, two places that stand out architecturally: San Antonio and Galveston.
San Antonio
When people think of San Antonio, they probably think of the Alamo, but the Alamo is only one of five Spanish missions in the city. All of them are restored and are amazing testaments to the Spanish colonization of North America. Missions were the means by which the Spanish were able to conquer the New World. These solid stone buildings were part church, part military fortress, part school for American Indians, and home to the first European colonizers in an area.
- Mission Concepción was built in 1731 and is one of the original Spanish missions still standing in Texas. Recently, efforts have been made to restore the colorful interior geometric designs on the walls. Historians have determined that many of these decorations were made to educate Native Americans converting to Christianity on the concept of faith, and about Spain, their then-new master.
- Mission Espada was moved here in 1731. The original was built in East Texas in 1690. This mission is farthest away from San Antonio, and, despite being near a freeway, is a very quiet and peaceful place and a radical departure from the hustle and bustle of the area around the Alamo. Mission Espada is reputed to be haunted by a large angry dog.
- Mission San José is an impressive structure, and it is clear that it served as much the function of a house of God as it did that of a military fortress. There are many colorful exterior paintings, and the Rose Window is one of the most intricately-carved architectural pieces you'll probably ever see. Masses are still held here, as well as weddings. A headless Franciscan monk is reputed to haunt these grounds.
Galveston
Galveston Island is home to the largest collection of Victorian architecture in North America. Since the island is so small, it's very easy to visit these buildings located in the city of Galveston. Once in Galveston, be sure not to miss the following:
- Once in Galveston, be sure not to miss Ashton Villa, an old mansion-turned-museum that the locals swear is the most haunted building in Texas. The villa was built for J.M. Brown, a hardware wholesaler, banker, and railway tycoon. This structure of brick and iron survived the great hurricane of 1900, but it was nearly demolished by the city in the 1970s. Luckily, a local civic group stepped in to save and restore it.
- Galveston's most famous building is Bishop's Palace. Bishop's Palace was built by Colonel Walter Gresham in 1888 and designed by Nicholas Clayton. The place is nothing short of a Victorian-style castle, with ornate colored stone, bronze dragons, intricately carved ornaments, rare wood, windows of stained glass, and even a fireplace lined with silver.
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