Runge House

             
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The elegant Runge House was constructed in 1916 as the home of Louis and Anita Runge and their five children. Designed by the New York architectural firm of Crow, Lewis & Wickenhoefer and built in an eclectic Mediterranean Revival style, the distinctive residence is an architectural blending of French, Italian and Spanish styles that reflects the Runge family’s international and Galveston interests.

Louis Runge took an active interest in the building of his new house and served as his own contractor. He not only personally paid the bills, which reportedly totaled around $13,000, but—as chronicled by family papers still in existence—maintained
day-to-day communications with various artisans and
workmen throughout the construction process. Elisabeth, one of the daughters of Louis and Anita Runge, was named director of the UTMB library in 1922 and continued to live in the family home
throughout her 46-year career at the university. In 1988, The Sealy & Smith Foundation purchased the property for use as the UTMB presidential residence; it was conveyed to UTMB in 1993.