Strand Historic District

[3][4] Today "the Strand" is generally used to refer to the entire five-block business district between 20th and 25th streets in downtown Galveston, very close to the city's wharf.

The Strand's very earliest buildings were typically wooden and vulnerable to fires and storms that hit the island frequently throughout the 19th century.

Throughout the 19th century, the port city of Galveston boomed; and the Strand, which is very close to the harbor, grew into the region's main business center.

Because of the Strand's close proximity to Galveston's harbor, the area suffered some damage during several battles during the Civil War, particularly when Union forces barricaded the city.

In 1973 the Galveston Historical Foundation followed suit, creating a trust fund for dramatic restorations of the Strand district that has sparked significant private investment as well.

Today, the Strand features shops, historical exhibits, museums, art galleries and many restaurants and night clubs.

The Strand sustained significant and catastrophic damage from the storm surge of Hurricane Ike on September 13, 2008, prompting the National Trust for Historic Preservation to add the district to the 2009 list of America's Most Endangered Places.

A historical marker on the Strand's old Mallory Produce building (now a curio shop), including a medallion above indicating the building survived the 1900 hurricane.
A street performer on the Strand
Chess at Saengerfest Park on the Strand