The Pompeiian Villa in Port Arthur reopened to the public on Nov. 4 with a ribbon cutting, tour and reception at 1953 Lakeshore Drive, after a series of restoration projects. The Museum of the Gulf Coast will host tours on Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Businessman Isaac Ellwood, known as the "King of Barbed Wire," built the villa in 1900 as a summer home. Museum of the Gulf Coast curator Sebastian Russo said Ellwood drew on the architecture of ancient Pompeii, and the home is now recognized as the oldest surviving home in Port Arthur.
Russo said the property was listed for about $500,000 after the Craig family, among its last private owners, left. The price later fell to about $25,000, and the home faced possible demolition. In 1973, Sybalise Fredeman, the first president of the Port Arthur Historical Society, organized 24 friends who each contributed $1,000 to buy the villa, according to Russo.