The Rosenberg Library is proud to announce the unveiling of Trustees Hall, located in the historic wing of the library’s 4th floor. This includes a new exhibit, Faces and Places of Galveston.
Galveston has a rich history of firsts, and Trustees Hall is located inside one of those firsts: Texas’s oldest, continuously run library, Rosenberg Library. Located near downtown Galveston, the library is named for its founder, Henry Rosenberg, a Swiss merchant and philanthropist who was well known on the island in the late 1800s. He is the same Henry Rosenberg that Rosenberg, Texas is named after.
Trustees Hall sits on the fourth floor of the library, and is named after the dozens of trustees who helped carry Rosenberg Library forward for 120+ years. When the library building was first constructed in 1904, this space was originally designed as an auditorium for performances. The space was refitted for different needs over the years, but in 2018, the journey began to restore it to its original 1904 look.
The space lives in the Rosenberg Wing, which was the original, historic building that visitors would have utilized every day in the early 1900s. The library later expanded in the 1970s, and the addition is known as the Moody Memorial Wing. Visitors who explore the Rosenberg Wing will see the stylized similarities in Trustees Hall along with everything that makes it unique. Light pours in from the skylight and arched windows on either side of the room.
The north windows provide a view of Sealy Street down below, and the south window shows a glimpse of the downtown skyline. One of the arched windows contains a gifted stained-glass design of a ship, called Galveston: Treasure Isle of the Gulf. Plaster designs curve out from the top of each ceiling corner, and matching sconces light them from below. It’s a beautiful place to take a picture!
Speaking of which, Trustees Hall is a great place to visit when you have family and friends in town, especially when they are just starting to learn about the island and its charms. If you ever needed an introduction to Galveston’s history, the new exhibit Faces and Places of Galveston provides a visual appetizer of what makes the island so unique. Explore portraits, paintings, and original objects from the past 120 years in person. Over the coming years, Trustees Hall will continue to offer new museum experiences and rotating exhibitions, library events, and other library gatherings.
The joy of history and discovery have never been too far from the library, however. Just across from Trustees Hall is the Galveston and Texas History Center, which is Galveston’s go-to source to see old photos, explore family histories, and research anything about early Galveston and Texas. Next to that, in the Harris Gallery is The Great Storm of 1900 exhibit, featuring moving photos and personal accounts from the deadliest natural disaster in American history. Art, historic items, and early-1900s era meeting rooms can be found on the second floor alongside the adult book collection. And for those with little ones, the much beloved Children’s department is on the first floor with hands on activities, a wide-ranging book collection, and a friendly blue tongued-skink named Rose. No matter what you’re looking for, we’re certain you’ll find something you love here.
Location: 2310 Sealy St
Trustees Hall is open from 9 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Saturday, and is reached easiest from the east entrance, where Henry Rosenberg’s statue greets visitors.
Where the Texas Coast begins.
Author
Visit Galveston
Visit Galveston is the official destination marketing organization for Galveston Island, Texas.
