1859 Ashton Villa — Attraction in Galveston

Ashton Villa was built by James Moreau Brown, in 1859. He was born in New York on September 22, 1821. He was the youngest of 16 children. After running away from home, he was apprenticed to a brick mason. He left New York around 1838, arriving in Galveston sometime in the mid 1840s where he opened a hardware business and became quite prosperous. In 1855 he purchased a slave named Alek, who was a brick mason. In 1859 he began to build the house. Brown purchased the lots on Broadway for $4,000. The design was that of an Italianate villa.

Five children were raised by James Brown and his wife Rebecca Ashton Stoddart Brown. They were John Stoddart (1848), Moreau Roberts (1853), Rebecca Ashton, known as Bettie (1855), Charles Rhodes (1862) and Mathilda Ella (1865).

In this house, the most dominant figures are the daughters, Bettie and Mathilda. Bettie was a rather independent woman for her generation. She never married and was a rather accomplished amateur artist at a time when women were allowed to dabble in painting china, but were not to cross over that line to actually paint seriously. Much of her artwork is on display in the house.

Mathilda was the youngest child and came back to Ashton Villa in 1896 after she divorced her husband Thomas Sweeney. She returned to live in the house with her three children.

Mr. Brown lived in the house until his death on Christmas Day, 1895 at age 74. Mrs. Brown died in 1907. The house went to Bettie, who lived here until her death in 1920. Mathilda inherited, leaving it to her daughter Alice in 1926. The house was sold to the Shriners, who used it as offices until 1970, when the museum property was taken over by the Galveston Historical Foundation, who opened it to the...

I would like to say how horribly disappointed I was at the haunted tour of the Ashton Villa on October 19, 2024. I am a historical costumer and I attend Dickins on the Strand and the soirée at the Bishops Palace each year. I was very excited when I purchased the tickets for the Ashton Villa tour.

1. The Villa was so dark inside that we could hardly see at all! I realize that the tour guides were trying to make it “spooky “, however, we could not see! I and several others almost fell on the narrow back staircase!
2. The tour guides did not speak loudly enough to be heard and read little speeches and did not even bother to say which rooms we were going through in the downstairs. I really wish I could get a refund. Definitely won’t be going on this tour again! Sad, because I’ve seen pictures and read the history of this beautiful, old mansion and learned nothing from these tour guides....

Saw the building from the outside during an evening ghost tour, which was put on quite well by Brittany. The history of the Villa, the people who lived at there at the time, and all of the stories behind this fantastic home made the walk and the information very intriguing to my wife and I. It holds a place in history about the emancipation proclamation, the civil war, and various hurricanes where water marks are seen on the outside of the home. An adjacent botanical garden is quite unique as well. I would suggest a visit if you're in the area and would like to learn about...