National Hotel Artist Lofts

Few buildings have histories as colorful as that of the National Hotel Artist Lofts. Built in 1870 as an opera house, the building enjoyed a glamorous but brief reign as Galveston’s cultural centerpiece. In 1895, a new owner substantially rebuilt it as an office building. Five years later, it survived the great hurricane of 1900, which leveled much of Galveston. It subsequently housed a bank, various stores and offices and the National Hotel.

Developed at a cost of $3.6 million, this important Galveston landmark has now been reborn as the National Hotel Artist Lofts, a 27-unit live/work building that includes both affordable and market-rate housing as well as ground-floor commercial space.

The National Hotel project has played a key role in the continuing renaissance of the Strand, a National Historic Landmark District of mainly Victorian era buildings that has become a major tourist attraction.