Galveston, Galveston County
(November 1, 1839 - December 9, 1916) A native of Ireland, Nicholas Joseph Clayton emigrated to Ohio with his widowed mother in the early 1840s. After serving in the Union navy during the Civil War, he joined the Memphis architectural firm of Jones and Baldwin. In 1872 he was sent to Galveston to supervise construction of two company projects, the First Presbyterian Church and the Tremont Hotel. Attracted by the city's vitality and growth, he stayed to open his own architectural office. A tireless worker noted for his bold style, attention to detailing, and professionalism, Clayton designed elaborate churches, commercial structures and homes throughout Texas and the South. His most significant contribution, however, was his influence on Galveston's architecture. From the 1870s to the early twentieth century, a period known as the city's golden era, his distinctive style was dominant. Examples of Clayton's work which still exist include the Walter Gresham House (Bishop's Palace), Ashbel Smith Building (Old Red), W. L. Moody Building, and the Trueheart-Adriance Building in Galveston; St. Mary's Cathedral and St. Edward's College (Old Main) in Austin; R. E. Stafford Bank and opera house in Columbus; and Sacred Heart Church in Palestine.