1875 Galveston Residence of Julius H. Ruhl That Survived The 1900 Storm
[Published 04-18-2026]
Julius Herman Ruhl was a successful merchant in Galveston Texas in the late 1800s.
Learn more about Julius Ruhl and the amazing beach home he built which is now a state historic marker.
While I was on a photography trip in Galveston, I decided to have a close look at this historic landmark.
It's the former home of Julius H. Ruhl, who completed its construction in 1875.
25 years later, the Galveston island was wrecked by a historic hurricane known as the 1900 Storm.
The category 4 Atlantic hurricane happened on Sept 8, 1900.
The storm devastated most of the surrounding houses within a few streets of the beach.
However, Ruhl's residence withstood the damaging winds and flooding.
The former residence of Julius Ruhl began construction in 1874 and was completed the next year in 1875.
Julius' wife Elizabeth Stauffacher Ruhl and their two children Julius Jr and Sophia Ruhl-Muller all lived there in the 1800s.
The successful Galveston merchant died seven years after building the home on Sealy Avenue in 1882.
Julius didn't live to see the storm that would crash into his residence, because he died at the age of 35.
Exactly 25 years after the home was built, the Atlantic Ocean produced one of the most devastating hurricanes in American history.
The historic storm hit Galveston island and the former Sealy Ave residence with 140mph winds on September 8, 1900.
There were estimated to be around 8000 deaths caused by the storm.
Many island citizens pleaded to ride the storm out inside the Ruhl residence, and many survived by doing so.
Julius Ruhl's wife and children have since died and were buried in Evergreen, New City, and Calvary Cemetaries.
His wife was the only member of the family to live to be quite old, and Elizabeth made it to the old age of 80.
She died in 1932 in the early part of the Great Depression.
Exactly two years after the storm, in September of 1902, the city began construction of the Galveston Seawall.
The original seawall was completed during the summer of 1904.
It has since been expanded and is 10.3 miles long, protecting most neighborhoods from storm surge.
The protective structure has stood strong for over 120 years due to the great construction by survivors themselves.
Today, over 7 million tourists visit Galveston every year.
Most visitors take a drive along the salty aired boulevard in front of the beach, and look for a spot to hang out.
However, most people driving along Seawall Blvd don't really know the history of the 17-foot drop-off next to them.
They have an idea it's to protect against surging ocean waters during big storms,
but not many know the history that you now know.
So share a link to this article with anyone you think would like to.
Article by Timothy Courtney
