This is it — the 1870 building where Galveston County’s Treasurer uncovered a hidden treasure of more than 100 unused old-growth pine and cypress windows dating from about 1900 above a false ceiling in the third-floor loft he’s renovating. The Magale Building at 2311-2315 Strand in Galveston was likely a window and door store and warehouse at one time, the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Matt Farragher told Galveston County Daily News reporter Hayley Kappes. That Strand neighborhood was once the city’s hardware district.
Kevin Walsh bought the loft not long after Hurricane Ike — from someone who’d lived there for 30 years. He found the windows when he ripped out the ceiling late last year.
Walsh, a CPA, also serves on the finance committee of the Galveston Historical Foundation; he’s already donated the windows to the non-profit organization. They’ll eventually go on sale at the foundation’s architectural salvage warehouse on 23rd St.
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There is a series of numbers written on the ceiling near the stairway entrance, which Walsh thinks were used to keep inventory of items stored there years ago.
Once the building was converted to offices and apartments, the windows were forgotten with the change of owners, he said.
“The windows are in fantastic condition, and there are lots of different sizes, which make great replacement sash windows,†Farragher said. “This is a great prize for us. It’s rare to find items in this great of shape.â€
Some of the windows are commercial size and would suit most buildings on The Strand, Farragher said.
- Historic windows found during renovation [Galveston County Daily News]
- Forgotten windows reflect historic find in island attic [Houston Business Journal]
Photo: Steven Wagner [license]
Too bad they won’t meet current energy code requirements. Unless it is a qualified historic building, replacement windows must comply with the Energy Code. I’m sure they will find a good home along the Strand.
Galveston has hundreds of buildings that qualify, including but not limited to those inside the Strand/Mechanic Historic District. The city has three other neighborhoods included on the National Register of Historic Places–the East End, Silk Stocking, and Lost Bayou. At the Texas Windstorm Exemption program allows homeowners anywhere in Galveston County to replace storm-damaged historic wood windows with in-kind materials, regardless of code requirements.
What an absolutely neat story!
My father bought the building at 2315 The Strand in 1971 & we lived there for many many years on the 3rd floor which we cleaned out, renovated & turned into our home. I was not surprised to hear that it was broken up into apartments. The old warehouse was packed from the first floor all the way to the attic which could only be accessed by an old pull elevator. As a child, it was great fun to explore.