There once was a time when majestic mansions and historic homes lined the Bluff and the main streets of downtown Corpus Christi. The grand homes were a testament to the pioneering pride and successes of Corpus Christi’s early residents. But, one by one, those houses began to disappear in the name of “progress”. Beginning in the mid-1920s, commercial buildings on the Bluff gradually replaced the stately mansions that had stood for decades. The same was happening in downtown Corpus Christi.
The city’s architectural heritage was being wiped out and few people even noticed.
By the 1960s, only a few old homes remained on the Bluff. Historic “Centennial House”, built in 1849 and the oldest standing structure in Corpus Christi, was saved by the Corpus Christi Heritage Society in 1965. It and several other historic Bluff houses at the far southern end of the Bluff are the only homes that remain standing in their original locations.
In 1974, the Nueces County Historical Society convinced the City Council to pass a historic preservation ordinance. It called for the creation of a Historic Landmark Commission to identify historic landmarks in the city and designate those structures as such. A designation would prevent the alteration or destruction of those structures without city council approval. Despite the fact that dozens of the city’s historic structures were gone, the move to preserve what we had left went into high gear. In 1975, the Junior League approached the city with a plan to save and restore two historic homes located in the newly created “Bayfront Arts and Science Park”. The Sidbury House (1893) and the Julius Lichtenstein House (1905) had been bought by the city as part of its expansion of the park. The Sidbury house originally stood on the Bluff at Upper Broadway and Leopard, while the Lichtenstein home was moved from its original location in 1929 to make way for the construction of the Ritz Theater.
Both houses would probably have been demolished, but the city agreed to turn them over to the Junior League for restoration at League expense. The city agreed to pay for utilities and maintenance of the two structures. The Junior League would spend $180,000 and 2 years restoring the Sidbury House, and $70,000 for the Lichtenstein home. A third historic house in the same block of N. Chaparral was built by Corpus Christi businessman, Simon Gugenheim, in 1905. It was the last Victorian-style turreted house remaining in the city. The Junior League had considered also restoring this unique house, but simply did not have the funds to do so. In March of 1977, the city-owned house was scheduled for demolition, but, at the last minute, the Camp Fire Girls organization agreed to take on the restoration and make the house their headquarters. Through fundraisers and donations, the Camp Fire Girls raised the $100,000 needed to restore the Gugenheim House and opened it to the public in 1979.
By 1980, the restored Sidbury, Lichtenstein, and Gugenheim houses became the nucleus of what was being called the “Old Town” section of the Bayfront Arts and Science Park. All three homes received historical designations from the Texas Historical Foundation and would later be added to the “National Register of Historic Places”. Plans were underway to landscape the area and perhaps add additional historic Corpus Christi homes that were in danger of being lost. The City agreed to fund the nearly $250,000 needed for the landscaping infrastructure….irrigation, walkways, and lawns…. surrounding the restored homes. An additional $30,000 would be raised by private donations to create Victorian style gardens around the houses. A gazebo, 1890’s gas lighting, and picket fencing were also added, reminiscent of the era in which the houses were built.
Between 1980 and 1983, four additional historic Corpus Christi homes were moved into the “Old Town” area to be restored. These included the Merriman-Bobys House, built in 1851 and the second oldest home in the City, the Galvan House, built in 1908 and the home of Rafael Galvan, a founding member of LULAC. Also, the Grande-Grossman House (1904), built by cantina owner, Ben Grande, and later owned by the Grossman family of Russian immigrants, and the Ward-McCampbell House (1908), a magnificent example of Classic Revival architecture were added to “Old Town”.
In May of 1984, the move was on to give the area known as “Old Town” a more distinctive name. Suggestions included “Victorian Village”, “By Gone Boulevard”, “Memory Lane”, “Heritage Plaza”, and “Heritage Park”. In a 6-5 vote, the Landmark Commission chose “Heritage Park”, which was unanimously approved by the City Council. In July 1984, a $438,000 contract was issued by the city to construct a plaza in front of the Galvan House, creating a center point for the homes in the two block long Heritage Park.
Today, Heritage Park is beautifully maintained and is popular with tourists and locals alike. The site has become a popular wedding venue, as well as hosting numerous cultural, art, and community events throughout the year. The annual Jazz Festival and the monthly “Market Days” attract hundreds of visitors to the park. A total of 12 historic homes now occupy the site. The Littles-Martin House (1910) joined the site in 1985, the Jalufka-Govatos House (1908) in 1988, the Buddy Lawrence House (1893) in 1998, the Mary Carroll House (1911) in 2006, and Steamboat House (1890) in 2007.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.