You’ll Never Believe What’s Hiding Inside The Walls Of This Abandoned Texas Mansion
When you see an abandoned building in your town, you probably don’t even think twice about it. But what about an abandoned mansion with a rich, mysterious history? The abandoned Stewart Mansion in Galveston, Texas looks very eerie, intriguing, and yet still hauntingly beautiful, despite its age. While I have read reports of it already being demolished, I cannot confirm this, so hopefully you can still go visit it, and see for yourself what might lurk within the silent walls of the mansion….
Stewart Mansion has had several owners over the course of its life, the first being George Sealy Jr, part of one of the most prominent, powerful families in Galveston. He had the 8200 square foot Spanish colonial mansion built in 1926, and named it "Isla Ranch."
Then, Sealy sold the property to Maco Stewart, founder of Stewart Title Co, in 1933 as a vacation resort home. He then changed the name to Stewart Mansion, and began to remodel and expand the property. Stewart was another prominent businessman in Galveston, making his fortune off insurance, banking, and war.
A legend has been told that Stewart killed his wife and children and buried them inside the walls of the house, but the graves in the Stewart family cemetery debunk this claim.
Stewart died of a heart attack in 1950, and afterwards, his wife donated the house to the University of Texas Medical Branch. UTMB then converted the mansion into a convalescent home for ill, disabled, and crippled children. They maintained ownership of the property until 1968, when it was left to fall into a state of decay and abandonment.
The abandoned, decrepit mansion is located on the same land where the Karankawa Indians once lived in the early 1800s. Jean Lafitte, one of the most famous pirates in history, came to the island in 1817 to set up base for his slave-trading business. He and other pirates fought off the Karankawa Indians in a three day battle in 1821, known as the Battle of Three Trees. Armed with cannons and guns, the pirates killed most of the Karankawa tribe, who only had bows and arrows as weapons.
The caretakers of the mansion over the years have reported seeing apparitions of Native Americans and pirates, as well as hearing cannon fire, screams, and cries on the property. One of the caretakers said he and his wife heard doors banging and other unexplained noises coming from inside the mansion at night, as well.
The mansion was purchased by Lori and and Todd Edwards, who own the nearby Waterman's restaurant. They plan to use the mansion as a community center for Bayside at Waterman's, an extension of their restaurant.
The rooms have been empty for quite some time, but that doesn't mean the spirits of former residents don't occupy them. Visitors claim to see shadow people, and hear songs being played on the now broken, disheveled piano.
This is the largest mural in the mansion of pirates in a boat set for sail. While beautiful, it certainly looks pretty spooky and foreboding, even in pictures.
Here’s a video of some brave souls actually exploring the mansion for themselves:
Would you explore the Stewart Mansion if you had the chance? If you have ever been to the property before, please share your experiences and/or photos with us in the comments below!
Also, I’d like to thank the wonderful photographers who agreed to let me use their photos for this story! If you get a chance, please check out their photos at their Flickr pages, linked underneath each of the photos above.
Texas staff writer for Only in Your State, blogger for Power of Positivity, and freelance health, wellness, and travel writer. I spend any chance I get traveling, enjoying nature, trying out new recipes, and meditating. I love sharing smiles, good food, and great conversation :)
