The 1847 Powhatan House Architectural Description and Significance

The Powhatan House, located at 3427 Avenue O on the southeast corner of Avenue O and 35th Street in Galveston, Texas, is a Greek Revival home with Victorian modifications. The Powhatan House was built in 1847, an unusually sophisticated example of Texas Greek Revival architecture, raised on a full brick basement. The first and second floors were built of lumber and millwork shipped from Maine.  In 1893 the house was moved to its present site from its original location on the block between 21st and 22nd streets. The Powhatan House was then divided into three sections and made into three separate raised homes on contiguous lots. One other section remains on the adjacent lot, but the third portion was destroyed by fire.

The present main house, still known as the Powhatan House, is an L-shaped, two story, heavy timber-braced frame structure, supported on foundations of isolated brick piers.  The east side has a two story projecting kitchen wing, added in 1907.

Of the three divided structures, the Powhatan House contains the largest part of the original house, including the central hall and many well-crafted Greek Revival architectural elements which have not been diminished or destroyed by remodeling. Of the original portico, a three-column section remains as part of the main facade of the Powhatan House.  Each column is 24 feet high with correct Doric capitals and abaci. The fluted columns are made of separate wood splines and are 2 feet 6½ inches in diameter at their bases. The entablature, duplicated on all sides of the house, is a modified wooden Doric scheme, without triglyphs or metopes.

The north entrance, with an identical portal opening on an iron-railed second floor balcony directly above it, is characteristic of the Greek Revival style.  The transom bars have sophisticated cyma recta mouldings, which are unusual for their date because most Early Texas craftsmen used simple beveled mouldings as a substitute.  The doors are solid wood with six panels, complete with panel mouldings on both sides. Flanking the doors are wooden pilasters with typical antae capitals and three-light sidelights with lower panels of wood.  The first floor entrance has a cornice with characteristic antae; the second floor has a simpler wood-moulded cornice.  

The two windows on the north facade are original.  The first floor window has a triple hung six over six over six floor-length window with a classical cornice moulding.  Directly above it is a double hung six over six light window with a wood-moulded cornice. The remaining walls of the house have a variety of two over two light and diamond pane windows, inserted during the 1893 remodeling.

All of the exterior walls are sheathed with white pine weatherboard siding, except the north wall which is covered with three-quarter inch center match planking. The floors on both levels are pine 3¼ inch center match.

The original Powhatan House was a square Greek Revival central hall plan with 24 rooms. The present abridged house has twelve rooms, including the stair hall which was divided in the center and incorporated into the southwest rooms on both floors. The 1893 restructuring included the addition of a new staircase, with winders and a quarter turn at the top and bottom.  The staircase has octagonal newel posts with elaborately turned finials.  The original rooms were each served by a brick fireplace; the present Powhatan House has seven fireplaces served by four brick chimneys.  Three of the chimneys are interior structures, the fourth is located on the northwest side of the house and is stuccoed up to the cornice line. The roof is flat and does not protrude above the cornice.  The brick basement, constructed for the house in 1893, was filled with sand in 1907 by the city grade-raising project, in an attempt to prevent flooding on the low-lying island.

Even in its present altered state, the Powhatan House has considerable architectural as well as historical merit. The detailing is unusual for its early date and the alterations themselves represent significant events in Galveston's past.