History of 3427 Avenue P - Bernardo de Galvez - Curdmor

Lot # 2 OL 87 NW ¼ this is how you find the home on the historical plats.

Luder (Louis) J. Koestra & Henrietta J. Koestra built in 1883.

Louis Koestra was a “rectifier” and “asst. compounder” for Le Gierse and Co.. 24th the Strand, an importing and wholsesale goods company here on Galveston Island (original owners were: Moses Lasker, Moses Lewis, and M. Ullman) which later became Ullman & Lewis.

Original home was about 1374 square feet on ground floor with stables in the back and the home featured two porches.

After 1900 hurricane the house was raised up 12 feet and the bottom was enclosed. The Grandmother (Henrietta Koestra) would tell her grandchildren how she and her husband had stood at the windows of the house and caught people being propelled down the streets by water. They said they saved several people that way. The house stands on the highest point of Galveston, which is probably why it survived the 1900 storm.

There is supposed to be a photo at the Galveston News that was taken right after the hurricane that shows the back yard of this house with the flotsam and jetsam left from the hurricane clearly stacked up in a line of demarcation so you can see just how far the Gulf came into the island.

This house stands on the highest elevation of Galveston Island.

Koestra came to Galveston 1846

Home at 3427 Avenue P built in 1883 the home was electrified in 1909.

In 1946 the home was deeded over to Herma Emilie Koester Balderach with “love and affection” from her Father (she was the wife of Walter Alfred Balderach and mother of Ronald Re Balderach (b. on Galveston Nov. 24, 1944).

Currently the home is three levels:
first level; 3 car garage, bathroom, large workroom, spa with 6 person whirlpool spa tub & massage room carpeted with industrial strength carpeting, laundry room with a 14 cu ft freezer, washer and dryer. Central Gas heat, electric central air conditioning, gas water heater.
Second level: entrance foyer, French entrance doors to living room, two bedrooms separated by French Doors, bathroom full, library, pocket doors to formal dining room, antique swining door with class etching to large kitchen with granite counters and original restore cabinetry, industrial strength ceramic tile floors in kitchen and screened in porch (which is off the kitchen).

Third level: Huge bedroom and smaller bedroom. Attic was made into bedrooms around 1996.