My husband and I attended a lovely wedding this past Saturday in Galveston, Texas.
The ceremony and reception were held at
the Garten Verein. What a wonderful building that
has lived on in spite of three major hurricanes, including the
1900 Galveston Hurricane which I wrote about in a previous posting. This is what the we know about it...
The flamboyant octagonal Garten Verein (Garden Club) was the center of 19th-century refined social life in Galveston. Lit at night like a fairy lantern, dancing couples would swirl within as German waitresses served beer steins and sandwiches.
Built by Galveston's prosperous German community — but open to anyone who could afford the modest membership — the whimsically designed Victorian pavilion flew the flags of all nations, and sported a bowling green, exotically landscaped park, croquet grounds, an ornate fountain, and even a genteel zoo.
Galveston businessman Stanley Kempner bought the site in 1923 and donated it to the city as a public park dedicated to his parents.
In 1998, the Kempner Fund provided a $1 million restoration grant for the fanciful pavilion.
Galveston is still struggling a bit to recover from Hurricane Ike, but they are well on their way. It may have been a stroke of luck, but the beaches and water were outstanding. We stayed at the historic Hotel Galvez and thoroughly enjoyed the it all.
I'm late to enter Mosaic Monday on Little Red House but here goes...
Visit this wonderful blog for some fabulous mosaics!
