Page 25 - Ma 2023 Galveston Monthly

OuT & abOuT | islaNd spOTlighT

The liTTle ClaYTon

The raised home aT 3810 avenue m is one of a Pair of 1896 sisTer coTTaGes
desiGned by famed GalvesTon archiTecT nicholas clayTon

by kaThleen MaCa

hen Galvestonians think of designs by architect remain anonymous) and his partner had been intrigued
Nicholas Clayton, grand victorian homes and with the house for years, so when it came up for sale in
wcommercial buildings come to mind. But Clayton 2019 they couldn’t resist purchasing it with a plan to bring
also conceived smaller dwellings, several of which are still it back to its former glory.
in existence. “Michael Cordray of Save 1900 Realty told us he had seen
One such property is a raised home that is one of a pair a wonderful house and thought we needed to take a look
of 1896 sister cottages at 3810 and 3812 Avenue M, built at it,” remembers one of the current residents.
for local restauranteur Rudolph E. kruger (1841-1900). “He said that the front room had a huge fireplace that
The two-bedroom, one bath homes were ideal rental dominates the room. He took us to see it, and it was the
properties. house I’d driven by and admired years before at 3810
The sister houses were reportedly built by kruger as Avenue M.“
investment properties to gift to his two daughters, neither The Queen Anne, stick style house which the residents
of whom ever married. The combined cost of constructing
have dubbed “Little Clayton,” had been landmarked during
Photos by kathleen maca the homes was $10,000. the Nicholas Clayton Program a few years earlier when the
Local folklore tells that over 300 people swam up to the
local landmark commission recognized over 30 Clayton
structures on the Island.
houses during the 1900 Storm to seek shelter, because
Remnants of a horse drawn trolley that ran on a track
they were built ten feet off of the ground.
The current owner of 3810 Avenue M (who prefers to
directly in front of the house were revealed during recent
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