"Walter and Josephine Gresham house in Galveston, Texas built in 1886 The American Institute of Architects includes it on the list of the 100 most important buildings in the nation. 19,000+ square feet of opulence inside and out, providing ample bedrooms, bathrooms, sitting rooms and servants quarters to house a family of nine children. An accomplished artist and famed hostess who reportedly furnished the grand staircase of her home with an abundance of pillows during parties in case any of her guests needed a break and wished to take a nap, his wife, Josephine hand painted a mural on the ornately coffered dining room ceiling featuring a series of cherubs with distinctive individual faces, said to have been patterned from the faces of each of her children. On the night of September 8, 1900, the Gulf of Mexico decided to come inland to the tune of 15 feet of water and 145mph winds, completely immersing and destroying Galveston as its waters barreled toward the Texas mainland. Killing somewhere between 6000 and 12000 people, it was the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. Gresham's Castle and a few surrounding houses were the only things left standing. The Greshams sheltered hundreds of the homeless under their roof in the aftermath. And Walter Gresham went to work, lobbying for and finally securing the funding for Galveston's famed sea wall, which remains today. In 1923, the Catholic Church stepped in and purchased the house. Therefore, in its second act, the castle became Bishop's Palace - a name that remains today."

- Beth Yarbrough's Southern Voice https://southernvoice.net