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ASID Spring Designer Showhouse
A highlight of this year’s Homes Tour is the reawakening of the 1839 Samuel May Williams house. Threatened with demolition in 1954, the house served as the catalyst for GHF’s incorporation as an historic preservation organization and was the foundation’s first purchase and restoration project. The property served as a house museum until this past fall. The foundation made the decision to return the house to its original purpose, that of a family home.
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) selected the Williams house as their 2008 Spring Designer Showhouse/Community Service Project, and 12 teams from the Gulf Coast Chapter have diligently transformed the house into a home for modern living, while preserving its historical ambience. The Showhouse represents many months of work by talented professional interior designers, as well as interior design students. Designers submitted sketches and sample materials to a review board for the spaces they selected. Winning entries were chosen on a basis of overall color and design scheme, previously determined suitable for the Williams house.
Built in 1839 for the family of Samuel May Williams, secretary to Stephen F. Austin and founder of the Texas Navy, the house represents a rare combination of Creole plantation and New England architectural styles. One of the oldest surviving homes on Galveston Island, the Williams house begins its 170th year as a vibrant and viable residence, once again.
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