Located on the 2000 block of The Strand, Hendley Row is a three-story, Greek Revival-style complex built between 1858 and 1859. 

Composed of four adjoining structures with common brick walls and rusticated granite quoins, the row was home to some of Galveston’s earliest commercial enterprises. 

 Granite plaques centered on each building’s upper story display the construction date alongside the initials of the original deed holders - Thomas M. League, Francois Gilbeau, Joseph J. Hendley, and William Hendley. 

 Three of the four buildings are the oldest surviving commercial structures on the island. The westernmost one burned in 1866 and was rebuilt a year later, its simpler interior woodwork distinguishing it from its counterparts. 

 Originally, a second-floor iron-railed balcony extended along the exterior of the building, and large skylights in the roofs provided natural lighting. 

 During the Civil War, Hendley Row played a tactical role in the battle for Galveston. Its rooftop served as a lookout post for both Union and Confederate forces. 

 During the three-month Federal occupation of Galveston Island that began in October 1862, Union troops used the roof to monitor ship movements in Galveston Bay. When Confederate forces retook the port after the Battle of Galveston on January 1, 1863, they too used the rooftop to observe enemy positions. 

 A shattered granite pier - still visible today on 20th Street - marks the damage from cannon fire during the battle. 

 In July 1968, demolition began on the west section of the building. The following month, preservationists stepped in, purchased the property, and donated it to the Galveston Historical Foundation. 

 In 1979, GHF rehabilitated the west section, reinforcing the compromised western wall with steel buttresses. This structural solution also allowed for a second egress and utility rooms to be added in the adjacent space. 

 In early 2012, George Mitchell and the Mitchell family added the two east bays of Hendley Row to their Mitchell Historic Properties portfolio. Restoration began promptly, including masonry and structural repairs, window restoration, partial elevation of ground-level floors to address flooding, and the addition of a rear egress stair. The project helped revitalize the eastern edge of The Strand District. 

 Today, Hendley Row remains a rare survivor of antebellum architecture - its weathered façade a silent witness to Galveston’s role in Gulf Coast commerce, conflict, and preservation.