Couple donates historic property
Two decades ago, the Galveston Historical Foundation acquired the island’s oldest residence to save it from the wrecking ball, stabilize it and find a new owner.
Now the couple who bought the Menard House from the foundation and spent years researching, repairing and reconstructing it — Fred and Pat Burns — has gifted the 1838 home and surrounding property back to the foundation.
The donation of the property, including a house that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, represents the largest gift in foundation history.
“The Burnses have been outstanding stewards of this property for 20 years and now grant this wonderful legacy to us,” foundation CEO Dwayne Jones said in a written statement. “We look forward to continuing to operate and maintain the house and grounds for the community and visitors.”
The Greek Revival-style residence was built in 1838 by Michel B. Menard, one of the
founders of Galveston.
According to the foundation, Menard arrived in Nacogdoches in the 1830s and began speculating on Texas land. Because only Mexican-born Texans could acquire land at the time, Menard took possession of 4,600 acres of what is now Galveston’s east end through Juan Seguin, a Mexican citizen, in 1836.
The complex was built two years later.
Couple’s ‘vision’
Menard died in 1856, and his descendants lived there for two more decades. In 1880, the house was bought by Edwin N. Ketchum, who was police chief during the 1900 Storm. Ketchum’s family owned the property until the 1970s, but by the early 1990s, it was in a state of disrepair.
With the city threatening to tear the house down, the foundation bought the residence, paving the way for the Burns’ acquisition and improvements. As a result of a partnership with the foundation, the house has been operated as a museum and venue for private events.
The home is considered one of the city’s most important historical properties, along with tourist attractions such as the Bishop’s Palace and Moody’s Mansion.
The Menard House has white paint to emulate white marble, which was used to construct public, more costly buildings in the early 19th century. The furniture and furnishings, with few exceptions, all date back to that period. They are of the Federal, Empire, Regency, Biedermeier and William IV styles, as interpreted by American, English, French and German artisans. The carpets, drapes and upholstery fabrics in the home are reproductions appropriate for the era.
The foundation says the gifting of the Menard House will bring it fully back in the view and use of the public. The Burns’ contributions are why the property still stands today.
“(The Burns’) investment at the time and vision for the property saved the house,” said Will Wright, the foundation’s director of communications and special events. “This gift allows the property be open to the public and used for the purposes of tourism and education in Galveston in perpetuity.”
‘Menardi Gras’
The foundation plans to “continue to maintain it and use it in hosting community events and private functions,” Wright said. “It and other buildings in the complex are in use annually for university students studying historic preservation in Galveston.”
The foundation’s first event was “Menardi Gras” on Friday, an opportunity for select local residents to celebrate Mardi Gras at the site of the city’s first celebration of the annual fest in 1853.