Clayton's Galveston: The Architecture of Nicholas J. Clayton and His ContemporariesThe Queen of the Gulf that was Galveston in the late 1800s. Praised for its splendor and riches, its thriving commercial spirit, and its strategic location at one of the Gulf Coasts most accessible ports, the booming island city owed much of its glory, majesty, and confidence to architect Nicholas J. Clayton. In Clayton's Galveston, Barrie Scardino and Drexel Turner chronicle Galveston's transformation from a faceless coastal village the blank canvas Clayton and his contemporaries used to create their masterpieces into the unique Galveston of today. Clayton and other architects such as Nathaniel Tobey, Jr., Edward J. Duhamel, and Alfred Muller had ample opportunity to leave their mark on a city growing at a fevered pace. Waves of growth and destruction caused by immigration and the fires of 1877 and 1885 made innovation essential as well as inevitable. Clayton himself designed more than 150 of the buildings constructed from 1870 to 1900, including civic buildings, commercial projects for the Strand district, and special contracts for Galveston's elite, especially the palatial homes he built along East Broadway. The works closest to his heart, those awarded him by the Catholic Church, showcase his selfassured free eclecticism and his interpretation of contemporary French and British styles. With the most complete and descriptive listing of Clayton's projects known to date, complemented by more than 250 photos and drawings, Clayton's Galveston provides an authoritative analysis of this era of Galveston architecture. The authors compare Clayton's work to that of his rivals and examine the theories, styles, and influences of the period. Peter Brink's foreword and Stephen Fox's afterword also contribute informed views of Clayton's life and work. By presenting the history of Galveston's most admired edifices, assessing its remarkable architectural character, and recalling an era of invigorated thought and design, Clayton's Galveston pays homage to the architects who gave the Queen of the Gulf her crown jewels. |
Contents
CHAPTER 2 | 29 |
Claytons Contemporaries | 135 |
Catalog of Buildings and Projects by N J Clayton 203 | |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
AABN Alfred Muller American Architect arches architect architecture Austin Avenue Ball Ball High School Barnstone Beasley/Fox block brick Broadway Cathedral Center Chapel Cincinnati CityDir Clayton and Company Clayton designed Clayton's office commercial buildings commission Company Building construction contractor cottages Courtesy Courthouse Dallas decorative demolished detail DioCent dome drawings elevations façade floor GAI/PDB Galveston buildings Galveston City Galveston County Galveston Daily Galveston Historical George Gothic Hall Heidenheimer Henry Rosenberg High Victorian Historic Galveston Houston Houston Public Library interior John Sealy John Sealy Hospital Joseph's July June Mary's N. J. Clayton Never built NJC(CB NJC(MTR NJC(SD Paul Hester pavilion picturesque plans projects Rabitt reported to cost Rice University Richardsonian Romanesque Robinson Romanesque roof Rosenberg Library Sacred Heart Church School Seeligson Sept Southern Messenger storm Strand style Texas Clayton tion Tobey tower Tremont two-story University of Texas Ursuline Academy Walter Gresham