Henry Trueheart's Sweethaven: Walk to the beach from an historic Victorian!

Walk to the beach from this majestic Victorian at 1704 31st Street; when you get back, enjoy a fresh private outdoor shower, then head to the wraparound covered porch to catch the Gulf breeze with a drink under the fans while the music plays.

This historic house, now known as Sweethaven, was built on three lots touching on the “Millionaire’s Row” part of Avenue O in the Kempner Park area of Galveston.
She has been lovingly refreshed and expanded over time, but she dates back 135+ years, to 1885. The house features original wood floors in most of the main rooms, with those of the foyer and middle floor rooms being particularly intricate.

Sweethaven is as close to the beach (just under half a mile) as a Great Storm survivor can be, as anything closer was destroyed by 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). She also made it through the 1911 and 1915 hurricanes; Carla (1961); and Ike (2008), among many others.

Sweethaven is set up to welcome family reunions or similar large groups: the main house sleeps approximately 19 in beds with quality mattresses and bedlinens.

The gourmet’s kitchen is big enough to prepare meals to feed all your guests, while the slackers gawk and heckle from barstools at the island and the bar area. Equipped to delight any chef with double convection ovens, double microwaves, double dishwashers, double refrigerators, an ice maker, and a wine fridge.

There are two bathrooms and four bedrooms on the top floor (Brideshead, the primary retreat with a king; Juliet’s Library, with a single queen; The Overlook with two queens; and The Landing, with a queen and a twin). There are no TVs in any of the bedrooms in the house, only in the common rooms: you come to the beach to be with people, and if you need to hide in the bedroom, a book attracts less attention. However, there is high-speed wifi all through the house.

The middle floor is for wider gatherings, with multiple living and dining areas in addition to the kitchen.

The ground floor – the Torpedo Deck— is the sacrificial level, located in the flood plain; new building at this elevation is prohibited by city code. Originally open storage or servants’ quarters, it was converted to flex space decades ago when the property was owned by the Galveston ISD. This floor has a more modern industrial vibe: check out the massive concrete piers that support the house above, and the steam pipes and conduits that serve as the arteries and veins conducting the fluids and forces that give the building life. We use this area as the young persons’ retreat, with a Wardroom for fun and games, including a tournament-quality foosball table; a ping pong table; and a big TV for movies. Three bedrooms (the Bridge, with a queen; the Interrogation Room, with a queen and a twin; and the Forecastle, with three twins) and a modest bathroom with step-in shower are also located on this level. Bedrooms at ground level are rare in Galveston, so this is a nice option for people with difficulty navigating stairs.

The carriage house apartment, available separately, is configured as an efficiency, with a small kitchen and bathroom, and a king bed. The carriage house itself features an outdoor shower, two water closets, a sink, and is large enough to host a small crowd if rain interferes with an outdoor gathering.

Sweethaven has a washer and dryer if needed.

There are a half-dozen beach cruiser bikes with locks that you are welcome to tool around on, but please keep them secure as they will otherwise disappear and you will have to pay for replacements. There is also a supply of beach toys so you don’t have to drag your own from home. And some beach chairs, and umbrellas, and so forth so all you have to do is show up and use them.

There are also charcoal and gas grills available for cookouts, but fuel is not guaranteed.

Parking: there is off street parking for ~3-4 vehicles. There is on-street parking for perhaps another dozen vehicles along both Avenue O and 31st Street. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF OUR NEIGHBOR'S GREY HOUSE TO THE SOUTH!