Sweethaven's 11: Walk to the beach from this majestic Kempner Park Victorian!

Galveston, Texas
$645 avg/night Minimum Stay 1 Nights
Bed 4

Bed

Bath 2

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 11

Max Sleeps

Night 1 nights

Min Stay

Walk to the beach from this majestic Victorian at 31st Street and Ave. O; when you get back, enjoy a fresh private outdoor shower, then head to the wraparound covered porch to catch the Gulf breeze with a drink under the fans while the music plays.

This historic house, now known as Sweethaven, was built on three lots touching on the “Millionaire’s Row” part of Avenue O in the Kempner Park area of Galveston is 3,650 square feet.
She has been lovingly refreshed and expanded over time, but she dates back 135+ years, to 1885. The house features original wood floors in most of the main rooms, with those of the foyer and middle floor rooms being particularly intricate.

Sweethaven is as close to the beach (just under half a mile) as a Great Storm survivor can be, as anything closer was destroyed by the Great Storm of 1900 (still the most cataclysmic natural disaster in U.S. history, with a death toll estimated between 8,000-12,000). She also made it through the 1911 and 1915 hurricanes; Carla (1961); and Ike (2008), among many others.

This listing is for the top two floors of Sweethaven, for those who do not need to add the extra space on the ground floor. The top floors sleeps 11 in beds with quality mattresses and bedlinens, split between 4 bedrooms ; there are additional pullouts available if needed.

The gourmet’s kitchen is big enough to prepare meals to feed all your guests, while the slackers gawk and heckle from barstools at the island and the bar area. Equipped to delight any chef with double convection ovens, double microwaves, double dishwashers, double refrigerators, an ice maker, and a wine fridge.

There are two bathrooms and four bedrooms on the top floor (Brideshead, the primary retreat with a king; Juliet’s Library, with a single queen; The Overlook with two queens; and The Landing, with a queen and a twin). There are no TVs in any of the bedrooms in the house, only in the common rooms: you come to the beach to be with people, and if you need to hide in the bedroom, a book attracts less attention. However, there is high-speed wifi all through the house.

The middle floor is for wider gatherings, with multiple living and dining areas in addition to the kitchen.

The ground floor – the Torpedo Deck— is not included in this listing, but is included in a separate VRBO listing for the entire house if that's what you prefer to rent. Originally open storage or servants’ quarters, it was converted to flex space decades ago when the property was owned by the Galveston ISD. This floor has a more modern industrial vibe: check out the massive concrete piers that support the house above, and the steam pipes and conduits that serve as the arteries and veins conducting the fluids and forces that give the building life. We use this area as the young persons’ retreat, with a Wardroom for fun and games, including a tournament-quality foosball table; a ping pong table; and a big TV for movies. Three bedrooms (the Bridge, with a queen; the Interrogation Room, with a queen and a twin; and the Forecastle, with three twins) and a modest bathroom with step-in shower are also located on this level. Bedrooms at ground level are rare in Galveston, so this is a nice option for people with difficulty navigating stairs.

The carriage house apartment, available separately, is configured as an efficiency, with a small kitchen and bathroom, and a king bed. The carriage house itself features an outdoor shower, two water closets, a sink, and is large enough to host a small crowd if rain interferes with an outdoor gathering.

Sweethaven has a washer and dryer if needed.

There are a half-dozen beach cruiser bikes with locks that you are welcome to tool around on, but please keep them secure as they will otherwise disappear and you will have to pay for replacements. There is also a supply of beach toys so you don’t have to drag your own from home. And some beach chairs, and umbrellas, and so forth so all you have to do is show up and use them.

There are also charcoal and gas grills available for cookouts, but fuel is not guaranteed.

Parking: there is off street parking for ~3-4 vehicles. There is on-street parking for perhaps another dozen vehicles along both Avenue O and 31st Street. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF OUR NEIGHBOR'S GREY HOUSE TO THE SOUTH!

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability

Feature Features

  • PETS

    No Pets Allowed
  • BEACH

    Beach Sun Loungers Beach Towels
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Fire Extinguisher Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    4 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided
  • KITCHEN

    Blender Dishwasher Electric Kettle Kitchen Island Lobster/crab Pot Microwave Oven Refrigerator Stovetop
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Onsite Parking Onsite Parking Options Include A Garage Wheelchair-accessible Parking Available
  • INTERNET

    WiFi Available (fee Applies)
  • OUTDOORS

    Balcony Barbecue Grill Garden Outdoor Furniture
  • BATHROOMS

    2.5 Bathrooms Bathtub Or Shower Hair Dryer Soap Toilet Paper Towels Provided
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    French
  • THINGS TO DO

    Bicycle On Site Water Sports Equipment
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    TV
  • LIVING SPACES

    Dining Room
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • FAMILY FRIENDLY

    Children's Dinnerware Playground
  • SERVICES AND CONVENIENCES

    Iron/ironing Board
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Area Rugs In Public Areas Cobblestone Flooring In Public Areas Handrails In Stairways Hardwood Flooring In Public Areas If You Have Requests For Specific Accessibility Needs, Please Contact The Property Using The Information On The Reservation Confirmation Received After Booking. No Elevators Smoke-free Property Thin Carpet In Public Areas Tile Flooring In Public Areas Upper Floors Accessible By Stairs Only Wheelchair-accessible Parking Wheelchair-accessible Path Of Travel

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 11:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 11

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Your dates are Available!

Total

Includes taxes and fees
$645+
View details