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E.G.D.Travel Theme: Walls
Posted by Jody on January 26, 2013
The Galveston Seawall
Every beach has a history!
On September 8, 1900, Galveston (Texas) suffered a devastating blow from a powerful hurricane. The storm surge washed over the entire island, knocking buildings off their foundations and taking the lives of thousands of Galveston’s citizens.
Galveston Seawall, Galveston Island, Texas
On September 7, 1901, in an attempt to prevent future storms from causing such massive destruction and catastrophic loss of life, the Texas State Legislature approved an act providing for the construction of a seawall for Galveston’s Gulf of Mexico coastline. The initial 3.3 mile long segment of the new Galveston Seawall was completed on July 29, 1904. Standing approximately 17 feet high, the concrete barrier was engineered to be 5 feet wide on the top and 16 feet wide at its base. The outer face of the Seawall was curved to carry waves upwards. Riprap was deposited along the base of the Seawall facing the Gulf Of Mexico in order to disrupt wave action and prevent the wall’s foundation from being undercut.
After the Seawall was completed, dredged sand and slush from the seabed were pumped into the city of Galveston to raise the ground by as much as 17 feet above its previous elevation! Isn’t that amazing?
Galveston Seawall and Seawall Beach, Galveston Island, Texas
In 1977, the Galveston Seawall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2001, the Galveston Seawall and the regrading of the City of Galveston were jointly named a National Historical Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Today, the pedestrian friendly, mural-painted Galveston Seawall runs for 10.4 miles along Galveston Island’s beautiful, sandy Gulf Coast beaches. It’s a lovely place to take a leisurely walk and enjoy the beachy views!
Galveston Seawall & Grade Raise – Texas Parks & Wildlife [Official Video]:
Additional reference: The 1900 Storm
Galveston Island related posts: Galveston Island: A Texas Oasis
Amy said
Great post for the wall! Looking forward to visit Galveston soon. Thanks for the video.
Jody said
Amy, Thank you and you’re welcome! We always enjoy our visits to Galveston. So glad you enjoyed the post and video. Safe travels!
Travel Theme: Walls | mothergrogan said
[…] Travel Theme: Walls (beachtreasuresandtreasurebeaches.com) […]
Jody said
Thank you so much for sharing our “Walls” post!
kiwiskan said
Really informative – and it reminded me of that song that came out during the Vietnam War ‘Galveston, oh Galveston, I can hear your sea waves roaring…’ It was a neat song, but I can’t remember the rest of it!!
Jody said
Oh yes! Galveston, written by the amazing Jimmy Webb and made famous by Glen Campbell. Love it! Webb was on a beach in Galveston when he wrote the song.
tchistorygal said
What a great article. I have never been there, so I feel like I’ve just had a mini history lesson. The video added a lot, as well. Thanks so much for sharing, Jody!! 🙂 Marsha 🙂
Jody said
Thank you, Marsha! We have family in Houston and when we visit we always try to get to the Gulf Coast beaches with the grandkids. The more the merrier. 🙂
tchistorygal said
How fun! 🙂
Travel Theme: Walls | Eat, travel, photograph said
[…] Travel Theme: Walls (beachtreasuresandtreasurebeaches.com) […]
Jody said
You are so right… history is full of walls and walls are full of history! Thank you so much for sharing our “Walls” post.
Fossillady said
A truly amazing story. I already knew about the hurricane that devastated Galveston, but didn’t know about the seawall or the engineering feats that followed!
Jody said
Thanks so much! Galveston is full of fascinating history. We just love to visit!
Jo Bryant said
what a feat to build that then..thanks for sharing
Jody said
You bet! I can just imagine how they may have first looked at the person who came up with: “Let’s raise our city by 17 feet!”
carolwilliams24 said
And its history surely has a lot of stories to tells and definitely so exciting to hear and that what matters most.
Jody said
You bet! Thanks for stopping by!