Right here stands a testament to Galveston’s rich history. It is the site of the George Seeligson Home Plaque. George Seeligson Sr. was born into a prominent Galveston family in 1841. His parents were former Galveston Mayor Michael Seeligson and Adelaide Gottschalk. They surely had high expectations for their son.
As a young man, George served in the Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. After the war, he moved to Indianola. He began a wholesale grocery and mercantile business there. In 1872, he married Maria Meade Davenport. Their first child, Lillian Meade Seeligson, was born two years later.
The small family moved to Galveston while Lillian was still an infant. George purchased three lots at the corner of Avenue H and 13th Street. This property had an impressive pedigree. Previous owners included Juan Seguin and Michel Menard.
In 1875, Seeligson built a two-story home with Greek Revival and Victorian styling on the lots. He spent the next few years growing his wholesale grocery business. By 1880, his son George Seeligson Jr. was born. Seeligson attained enough success to move into Nicholas Clayton’s latest building. He collaborated with Liberty S. McKinney and Max Maas. They brought wholesale groceries, imports, liquors, wines, and confections to customers.
Now a wealthy businessman, Seeligson decided to erect a grander home for his family. In 1887, he moved the family’s current wood-frame home to an adjoining lot. This cleared the way to construct a new design by Clayton.
The architect brought a spectacular design to life. It was a Gothic Revival home with details bordering on High Gothic style. Rising two-and-a-half stories, it was the ultimate statement of Galveston wealth and fashion. It featured quatrefoil basement windows. A bell-shaped cupola encircled by a dozen arched, stained-glass windows also adorned the home. Steeply pitched, gabled slate roofs topped with finials capped a lavishly decorative exterior. Carved crowns adorned its doors and windows.
Wide stone stairs led visitors to elegant, double front doors. These doors featured an elaborately detailed brass doorknob and key plate embossed with vines and flowers. A large Star of David design was carved into each of the heavy wood doors. The doors were inset with stained-glass panels portraying green climbing vines.
The house included ten rooms, five fireplaces, and nine closets arranged in an asymmetrical floorplan. Four upstairs bedrooms featured colorfully stenciled walls and ceilings accented with gold. The floors of the bedrooms and connecting hallway were finished in oak, cherry, and mahogany. The bathroom floor was tiled.
Downstairs, the kitchen was outfitted with the latest devices. It had a large pantry and storeroom. Lighting was provided by both gas and electricity. A glass conservatory extended from the lower floor into the garden. His passion for plants was obvious. The grounds were populated with a wealth of shrubbery, flowering plants, and small trees.
Begun in 1889 and completed in 1890, the project cost Seeligson $25,000. Clayton was so proud of this creation that he listed it as a reference in his advertisements for years.
Seeligson’s business expertise soon earned him the vice presidency of the Galveston Dry Goods Company. He also held positions on the board of directors for both the Texas Guarantee and Trust Company and the Galveston and Western Railway.
The first Texas chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was organized at the Seeligson home. Mrs. Seeligson hosted a group of 19 women. The group was led by Julia Washington Fontaine. A Texas historical marker now stands on the property to commemorate the event.
When the historic hurricane struck Galveston in 1900, Seeligson was at home with four live-in servants. No records exist of repairs made to the home in the following months. This may indicate the structure was left largely unscathed.
In October 1901, George Jr. committed suicide. Happiness returned to the family in 1904. The couple’s daughter Lillian married John Miller Winterbotham.
At nearly 71 years of age, George Seeligson Sr. passed away from prostate cancer in his grand home on August 8, 1912. His funeral was held in the home he dearly loved. His widow Maria remained in the home for the rest of her life. Maria Seeligson passed away in 1928.
A permit was issued in July 1934 for the demolition of the Seeligson mansion. The opulent stained-glass front doors from the George Seeligson home now hang in Trinity Episcopal Church.
Today, the George Seeligson Home Plaque stands as a reminder of a prominent Galveston family and their contributions to the city. It marks the spot where a grand home once stood. It also reminds us of the stories and memories that linger.