| Marker Text |
Built in 1878 as a commercial venture by Samson Heidenheimer (d. 1891), this building was first occupied by the George Seeligson wholesale grocery business. It was leased to H. Marwitz & Co. in 1880. Owned by Hermann Marwitz, the company did business as ship chandlers and wholesale grocers, and remained in operation here until about 1900. Heinrich Mosle & Company, another large wholesale grocery business, next rented the building. Heinrich Mosle (1864-1921), founder of the United Steamship Company, established a direct trade route between Galveston and Latin America. The Mosle Company occupied the building until 1919. In 1920 Galveston native Fred F. Hunter bought the building. It was leased to the C. J. Sweeney Sporting Goods Company until 1923, when Hunter's own business moved into the structure. His printing and stationery firm remained at this location until the 1970s. The Italianate style, thee-story stuccoed masonry commercial structure features Hood molds, pilasters and surfaces scored to resemble stone. An original ornamental cornice was removed, possibly as a result of the 1900 Galveston storm. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1987 |
