Tax Credit Program Highlight: Eaton Memorial Chapel

History

Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church of Galveston, with its buttresses, lancet windows, and battlemented tower, is an excellent example of early-English Gothic Revival style brought to America. The relative simplicity of the design differentiates this Gothic style from later, more elaborate forms. The Eaton Memorial Chapel, named after the church’s first rector Reverend Benjamin Eaton, was designed by prominent Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton in 1882. The chapel adheres to the main structure’s Gothic style with sandstone mortar covering the exterior red brick, though the lancet and rose windows, decorative stone molding, and hardwood floors rend it more ornate than the original sanctuary.

Rehabilitation Project

This project was part of a larger campaign to restore and rehabilitate the entire church complex after Hurricane Ike. Eaton Chapel was discovered to have suffered significant structural issues as a result of the storm, along with damage to historic finishes. Walls were stripped of deteriorating plaster, to allow for masonry repairs and repointing. Plaster was then restored to all walls. Woodwork was repaired throughout. The elaborate ceiling was carefully dismantled and replaced after completion of structural repairs, with some deteriorated pieces replaced. One rose window was rebuilt using the original stained glass. Upgrades were made to mechanical and electrical systems. Additionally, an exterior elevator was added that allows access to the second-floor chapel and connecting non-historic buildings.