Walk to the beach from one of Galveston's Iconic Victorians!
On the Millionaire's Row section of Avenue O, near Kempner Park
Sweethaven's Story
This house, now known as Sweethaven, was built on three lots touching the “Millionaire’s Row” portion of Avenue O in Galveston’s Kempner Park neighborhood; it has survived the Great Storm of 1900 (still the most cataclysmic natural disaster in U.S. history, with a death toll estimated between 8,000-12,000); the 1911 and 1915 hurricanes; Carla (1961); and Ike (2008), among many others.
Sweethaven was begun by Henry Trueheart, a partner in one of the largest land and real estate companies in Texas in the late 1800s. Trueheart bought the property at the NW corner of 31st and O in 1876; in 1886, he contracted with architect Nicholas Clayton to design a house for the location. However, in October of 1889, Trueheart sold the property to Dr. Roland Hodges, and by February of 1890, Hodges had hired noted builder August Bautsch to add to the house Trueheart had started. Bautsch collaborated extensively with Nicholas Clayton in Galveston, together building the original Ball High School and many other notable structures, including some of the finest homes on Broadway. Sweethaven is a fine example of Bautsch's work, even though it was substantially expanded after 1894.
1894 saw the beginning of the shingled and casement-windowed Queen Anne era for the great house at 31st and O, after Robert Cohen bought the home. Cohen was a successful dry goods merchant -- one of the progenitors of the modern-day department store. His first store was a small men's furnishings shop in the old Opera House building, but Cohen is most famous for purchasing the Foley Brothers Dry Goods Company of Houston in 1917; under Cohen’s ownership and that of his children, Foley’s became one of the largest department store chains in the South and was subsequently acquired and folded into what is now Macy’s. Cohen's first addition was a two-story section to the rear of the house, which became a large kitchen and pantry on what is now the middle floor, with corresponding rooms upstairs for additional bedrooms; these were combined into the current master bedroom. Cohen was also responsible for the extensive two-story porches that ran the length of the east side of the house; he also changed the projecting entry porch and added porches on the west elevation. Cohen was much influenced by the painted cottages at Brighton, England, and for years made an annual trek to that seashore. That influence showed as the house at 31st and O became pink with blue shutters and blue roof; then yellow, and then back to pink with blue. The house is often referred to as the Cohen house, in a nod both to the Cohens’ long tenure at the property, and to the architectural changes made to the home by Mr. Cohen.
In 1947 the property was acquired by the Public Free School of Galveston and used as its administrative headquarters until sold in 1968; the school system added the secure blockhouse attached to the kitchen, which is now the pantry and owner’s vault. In 1968 a private corporation purchased the structure, changed it into a multi-family dwelling, and in turn sold the by-then-declining-but-sound house to new owners in 1977. These folks returned the structure to single-family use, and did such things as sandblasting the interior and exterior to “bring out the woodgrain.” The home was featured in the Galveston Historical Foundation’s 1979 Tour of Historic Homes.
The house features original wood floors and windows in most of the main rooms, with floors in the foyer and middle floor rooms being particularly intricate, similar to those in the Bishop’s Palace. The carriage house also dates to 1896 in insurance documents, when it actually housed a carriage in addition to livestock and a wagon, with employee quarters above. The carriage house and apartment were refurbished in 2021/2022.
Why choose galveston?
It has everything you could ask of beach destination, and then some...
People choose Galveston over Texas' other beach cities, like Port Aransas or South Padre Island, because it has much more than just a beach on offer. Galveston has historically been known as the Port and Playground of the South for good reason.
- History: it's one of Texas' oldest cities, and its leader through the early 20th century.
- Architecture: Tour the United States' finest Victorian home, the Bishop's Palace; Galveston has whole neighborhoods of preserved buildings.
- Art and Museums: Browse the art galleries on Post Office Street; tour the Bryan Museum, the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum, the Tall Ship Elissa, or even NASA, just over the causeway in Clearlake.
- Entertainment: families can enjoy the Pleasure Pier, Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn, or even the Boardwalk at Kemah. For adults, there bars for every taste, open even after sundown.
- Restaurants: scores of delicious restaurants from down-to-earth local favorites like Shrimp N Stuff to top-of-the-line dining at the Saltwater Grill.
- Fishing: fish the Bay or the Gulf beaches, jetties, piers, bay reefs, and flats. Tarpon, flounder, redfish, cobia, speckled trout.
- Easy to get to: It's as close or closer to Texas' main population centers than all the others. Plus Houston's Hobby airport is just 45 minutes away for flyers.
- Value: a stay in Galveston typically costs less than equivalent beach stays elsewhere.