ORIGINALLY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF WACO AND COMANCHE STREETS, THIS COLONIAL REVIVAL HOME WAS BUILT IN 1907-08 FOR THE FAMILY OF ASA MILTON AND FRANCES GARRETT FRENCH. A. M. FRENCH (1850-1936), A NATIVE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, WAS A SURVEYOR AND CIVIL ENGINEER. HE SETTLED IN CORPUS CHRISTI IN 1882 AFTER WORKING ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEXAS-MEXICAN RAILROAD AND BECAME AN ACTIVE CIVIL LEADER.

THE HOME WAS ACQUIRED BY RAFAEL GALVAN (1887-1966) IN 1942. GALVAN WAS A CORPUS CHRISTI POLICEMAN FOR 20 YEARS AND WAS A FOUNDER AND CHARTER MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS (LULAC). A PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN AS WELL, HE ALSO OPENED A POPULAR BALLROOM. THE HOME REMAINED IN THE GALVAN FAMILY FOR 40 YEARS.

THE FRENCH-GALVAN HOUSE IS A TWO-STORY STUCTURE WITH A WRAPAROUND GALLERY ON EACH FLOOR. THE FIRST STORY BOASTS IONIC COLUMNS. THE CENTRAL DORMER ON THE HIPPED ROOF FEATURES A PALLADIAN WINDOW AND IS SURROUNDED BY A BALUSTRADE. THE CLASSICAL IONIC ORDER IS ALSO FEATURED AT THE FRONT ENTRYWAY.

THE CORPUS CHRISTI LANDMARK WAS MOVED TO THIS SITE IN 1983.

RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 1986