Thompson Building

Thompson Building. Until the 1870s, the north had of this block was under the waters of Galveston harbor. In 1874, John Wolston, a commission merchant, bought this property from The Galveston City Company and formed a partnership with Clinton Wells and Charles Vidor, to construct this building. , The Sanborne Insurance Maps of Galveston in 1877, show a building under construction for use by a wholesale drug company. The building is a two-story neo-Renaissance style brick building, typical of the period in Galveston. Window openings are spanned by segmental arches with plain hood-moulds. The sidewalk around the building was originally covered with a rigid porch type canopy, seen on many commercial buildings in Galveston's downtown business district. , The first tenant of the building was R.F. George, a wholesale druggist who is listed at them building address in the Galveston City Directory of 1877. A year later, George combined his business with T.C. Thompson and J.J. Schott to form Thompson, Schott and Co. In 1882, the partner changed again: J.J. Schott was replaced by Theodore Ohmstede. A new company called Thompson, George and Co. was formed. The building continued to house wholesale drugstores until the turn of the century. , As the partners in the drug business changed over the years, so did the building ownership Builder Wolston, Wells and Vidor sold the building for a profitable some in 1881. New owners were Ball, Hutchings and Co., one of the best known firms in Galveston with partners, George Ball, John H. Huntchings, John Sealy and George Sealy. Following the death of the partners and heir, Frank Ball, the property was sold to Aaron Blum and Marx Marx, Galveston merchants. , The building changed hands no fewer than five times in the first two decades of the Century. In 1919, J.W. Focke purchased the property to hose his ship chandlery and grocery business. Focke also rented space in the building to another ship chandler, a supply house and a banana supplier. Focke acted as the Norwegian Consul in Galveston 1906 to 1950. He was knighted and decorated by King Haakon VII of Norway for his Focke sold the building to Miro Vranac, Jr. in 1967. , George P. Mitchell purchased the property from Vranac in 1992, and immediately began plans for restoration and adaptive reuse of the building for retail tenants. George and Cynthia Mitchell have a long standing commitment to the revitalization of Galveston, having restored many buildings in The Strand National Historic Landmark District.