Sacred Heart Church- Galveston, Texas

 Sacred Heart Church in

Galveston, Texas

on a beautiful November day.
This is the current structure on the site.

The Sacred Heart Parish was established on June 21, 1884 

when a division was due to the growth of population of Galveston 

and the east end of the city was assigned to the new parish. 

Initially the parish held Mass in the 

St. Mary's University Chapel until 1892.

On January 17, 1892 a new structure was dedicated. 

The new church was the largest in Texas at the time. 

The new church designed by architect Nicholas Clayton 

was very ornate and in a French Romanesque style. 

The life of this beautiful church building 

was short-lived as on September 8, 1900,

 Galveston was hit by a devastating hurricane 

and demolished the building.  

            The parish immediately set upon building a new church building 

and the current building was built. The present church building 

was designed by a Jesuit brother Name Jimenez 

with the corner stone laid on June 21, 1903 

by Bishop Gallagher and the church was consecrated 

on January 17, 1904. 

The church shows both Moorish and Byzantine influences

 and gives a wedding cake effect with fleur de lis 

and pineapple finials, stilted, Gothic 

and ogee arches and vertical and horizontal bands. 

View from the Bishop's House 

across the street- upper floor.
 
The 1915 storm destroyed the dome of the church 
and Nicholas Clayton designed the present onion-shaped
protuberance which graces the building today.  

The church has been restored following 
the damage it incurred during Hurricane Ike.