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All the United States Texas Galveston The Kettle House

The Kettle House

This tiny, hurricane-resistant house in Galveston is one of the city's most notable architectural oddities.

Galveston, Texas

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MommaGem
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The Kettle House in Galveston, Texas   Map Data © 2016 Google
The Kettle House   Map Data © 2016 Google
The Kettle House at sunset   Nicolas Henderson / CC BY 2.0
2-4-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  stephanieporta / Atlas Obscura User
March 2022   stephanieporta / Atlas Obscura User
2020 Photo   narlenevans93 / Atlas Obscura User
2-4-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This tiny metal house with sloping bowl-like walls, located on a busy road a short walk from the Gulf coast shoreline in Galveston, is known as the Kettle House for obvious reasons.

Because the beach community around this house is prone to hurricanes, most of the nearby houses are on stilts to prevent flooding and destruction of property. Not the Kettle House though. Its exceptionally squat, sturdy construction has kept it safe through Hurricane Ike and other dramatic weather conditions that have wrought havoc on other buildings in Galveston.

For that matter, the Kettle House has stood in the same spot near the gulf for upwards of 50 years. According to the Houston Chronicle, the house was built by a man named Clayton E. Stokley, who originally planned to turn the unique structure into a retail space.

The Kettle House does resembles the top of a water tower and doesn't resemble much else in Galveston at all. If you're driving out to the beach in Texas, stop by to see this truly strange little architectural artifact.

Update: The house has been renovated and sold as a completed residence since fall 2018.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Outsider Architecture Houses Disasters Architecture Homes

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It is privately owned and not open to the public.

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MommaGem

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HailStorm, erjeffery, briangreul, Ike Allen...

  • HailStorm
  • erjeffery
  • briangreul
  • Ike Allen
  • Darrell Powers
  • narlenevans93
  • stephanieporta

Published

June 15, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.strangebuildings.thegrumpyoldlimey.com/2011/07/kettle-house-galveston-texas-usa.html
  • http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/real-estate/article/The-mysterious-Kettle-House-in-Galveston-5875615.php
  • https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/real-estate/article/Galveston-s-storied-Kettle-House-history-11817525.php
The Kettle House
14106 Miramar Dr
Galveston, Texas
United States
29.204489, -94.944426
Get Directions

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