Now this is a strange one!
Galveston, Texas
It's been dubbed the "Kettle House" for its resemblance to a tea
kettle, and it has stood the test of time for decades, enduring
hurricanes and tropical storms. Since then, it's garnered a series of
legends and myths guessing at its origins.
Some folklorists claim that the structure was once the top of a
water tower that collapsed following a severe storm, tossing the cap of
the tower several feet down. A more likely account can be found in the
book
Weird Texas: Your Travel Guide to Texas's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,
in which authors Wesley Treat, Heather Shades and Rob Riggs write that
the house was built by a man who made storage tanks for oil companies
and who passed away years ago, leaving the place to his son.
Even more curious than the house's architectural roots is the owner who maintains the home and property.
His careful work may be why the steel structure has weathered storms and endured with little more than some spots of rust.
It DOES look like the top of a water tower or silo.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it? I couldn't find any other pictures of the inside of it. Would like to go inside!
DeleteTea kettle? I was thinking stew and GRAVY!
ReplyDeleteAnd biscuits.
You're right - I found one house that was in the shape of an old percolator coffee pot!
DeleteI look at that and think of soup simmering on the back burner. I have seen a house made from the top of an old wooden water tower. It had straight sided walls in an octagon shape. But I have never seen anything quite like this one. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteWould be interesting to see how it was built. Too bad there aren't more pictures of it.
DeleteI've driven by this hundreds of times! Certainly is a taste that I don't share, but, eh, interesting! There are a few strange things out there in Galveston, along the beach road (San Luis). Big Ike came through and really cleaned out a lot of the older houses that were in poor shape, so there is a plethora of McMansions now along the beach. They'll get their turn to learn to swim. That island is in constant movement. My Brother-in-Law owned a beachhouse on San Domingo road, and there were a bunch of multi-million dollar homes that went in 'beachfront'. Beachfront is now tide-line, the houses gone. The next road then got built up. We joked that in two or three hurricanes, HIS house would be beachfront! He decided not to wait and sold while the memories of Ike had dissipated. Me? I'll drive over and be on the beach, but no way would I want to live there.. That little 'teakettle house', is on the other side of the road, so likely has several hurricanes to go through before it is in any danger at all. It has lived through so much!
ReplyDeleteFair Winds
Cap'n Jan
Must be really neat to see it it person! Lucky you! Was only in Galveston once, back in the early 80's. We stood on a very long stone/boulder pier. It was so HOT and humid, couldn't wait to get back to Joisey! LOL!
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