Ashbel Smith Building
National Register of Historic Places

Ashbel Smith Building

Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Listed
October 27, 1969
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
69000203

About this property

The Ashbel Smith Building, also known as Old Red, is a Romanesque Revival building located in Galveston, Texas. It was built in 1891 with red brick and sandstone. Nicholas J. Clayton was the architect. It was the first University of Texas Medical Branch building. In 1949, the building named for Ashbel Smith, a Republic of Texas diplomat and one of the founders of the University of Texas System. The building was registered as a Texas Historical Landmark in 1969 and renovated in 1985. In 2008, Old Red was flooded with six feet of water by Hurricane Ike. It was also one of the few buildings to survive the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

Location

914-916 Ave. B
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
29.31344, -94.77905

Categories

SCIENCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Ashbel Smith Building

This page lists Ashbel Smith Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Ashbel Smith Building report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Merimax Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
McKinney-McDonald House
Industrial
0.4 mi
East End Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi
Mosquito Fleet Berth, Pier 19
Industrial
0.7 mi
Bishop's Palace
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Ashbel Smith Building listed on the National Register?

Ashbel Smith Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 27, 1969.

What type of historic resource is Ashbel Smith Building?

Ashbel Smith Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Ashbel Smith Building?

The period of significance for Ashbel Smith Building is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1805.

Can I research the history near Ashbel Smith Building?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Ashbel Smith Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Galveston County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Galveston County.

Explore GalvestonCounty ›

More historic places in Texas

Browse all historic places in Texas.

View Texashistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Texas history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Texashistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Ashbel Smith Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report