It might be a year or more before the Fulton Mansion can open to the public, but the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site is open, ready for the holidays and planning for future historic exhibits. Two holiday concerts are planned for the mansion lawn, while Director Marsha Hendrix is working to gather area storm stories for the archives.
The roof of the 140-year-old mansion in Rockport was damaged by Hurricane Harvey in late August, soaking artifacts and the interior of the building with rainwater. While the mansion is currently undergoing repairs, the Education and History Center and the museum store reopened in October, although many of the mansion’s artifacts are in Austin being restored. The difficult situation has not dampened holiday spirits — or plans — however.
“We’re doing something a little different this year,” Hendrix said. “We are hosting a Symphony by the Sea concert instead of our annual caroling event. It’s usually held in the high school auditorium, but that was damaged by the hurricane, too.”
Instead, they are taking that and another event outdoors.
The Rockport-Fulton High School Choir will join the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra for a concert on the mansion lawn 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. Five hundred chairs will be set up and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Those attending can also bring their own chairs and blankets.
The event is free this year, a gift to the community from the Aransas County ISD Education Foundation, Hendrix said.
The Rockport-Fulton High School band will perform a Christmas concert on the lawn at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Both events will be canceled in the event of bad weather.
“We’ve had enough bad weather, though, don’t you think?” Hendrix asked Corpus Christi Business News. “We deserve some good weather for a change.”

RECOVERY UPDATE

Fulton Mansion has survived at least eight major hurricanes in its lifetime with Hurricane Harvey being the worst. Coming in second is the infamous 1919 storm — 98 years ago. No one was living in the mansion at the time.
“The only story we know about that is that a boat smashed into the front porch,” Hendrix said. “The first floor filled up with six feet of water from storm surge.”
Hurricane Harvey damage came from above this time, not below.
“We were not prepared for that,” Hendrix continued. “We always prepare for a tidal surge.”
That preparation includes packing up artifacts, furniture and books and moving it all upstairs. That was exactly the wrong thing to do this time, but who was to know? Instead of storm surge, hurricane winds over 130 mph rolled back the building’s roof and ripped off the chimneys, allowing water to penetrate all three stories of the building.
What about preparation for the next storm?
“The same damage won’t happen again,” Hendrix promised. “We’ll have a modern roof that meets windstorm insurance regulations, and our chimneys will no longer have holes. We are sealing off those holes.”

STORM STORIES

Hendrix laments the lack of stories from the 1919 storm and doesn’t want the same thing to happen again.
“It’s part of our history now, and we want to collect that history,” she said. “We are interested in collecting everyone’s stories of how they survived the storm.”
Winter Texans spending the next few months in the Coastal Bend will be particularly interested in hearing those stories. Hendrix is working on a way to videotape remembrances and make them available through the education center.
Anyone with a story to share should contact Hendrix at (361) 729-0386 or fulton-mansion@thc.texas.gov.