Willis-Moody Mansion
a.k.a. Moody Mansion and Museum
2618 Broadway, Galveston, TXAssociated with two prominent Galveston mercantile and entrepreneurial families, the Richardsonian Romanesque Willis-Moody Mansion is an important document of the position Galveston once held in the economic, political, and social spheres of Galveston and Texas. The mansion was built between 1893 and 1895 by Narcissa Willis, widow of Galveston merchant Richard Short Willis, using the talents of English-born architect William H. Tyndall. Just five years after its completion, in 1900, the house was purchased from Narcissa Willis's heir by William Lewis Moody, Jr., whose business ventures over the ensuing five decades would play a key role in the development and definition of the economy in Galveston and Texas. The property is eligible for its association with Moody under Criterion B in the area of Commerce at the state level. The mansion's design, construction, and decoration also contribute to its significance. Its adaptation of the Romanesque style to Galveston's subtropical marine climate, use of structural steel, and fine interior appointments make the Willis-Moody Mansion unique among Galveston residences surviving from the city's era of greatest affluence and one of the finest examples of this architectural style in the state. Therefore, the property is also eligible under Criterion C for Architecture at the state level.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.