Exploring the Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard in Galveston, Texas.

The Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard (Murphy Brockelman Marble Yard) is one of the many historic businesses of Galveston, Texas. This news article will explore some of the history behind Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard.


The Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard offered some of the finest cutlery of marble slabs and marble stone in all of Galveston and Galveston County during the late 19th century. Here Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard specialized in marble cutlery. Nick Murphy & Joseph Brockelman (Joseph Brockelman) operated the Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard. Joseph Brockelman was the owner and key operator of Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard. Nick Murphy was one of his business partners.

Nick Murphy was listed as a laborer of Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard in the 1874 edition of Heller's Galveston Directory. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth636858/m1/80/)

According to a Sanborn insurance map dating back to 1877, the Murphy & Breckolman Marble Yard was located at 21st Street & Avenue C in Galveston, Texas which now is 21st Street & Mechanic Street north of the Atlanta House and a cistern. (Ref: Sanborn map of Galveston 1877, Sheet 3)

Joseph Brockelman was listed as the owner of Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard in the 1878-1879 edition of Heller's Galveston Directory. Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard was listed as being located at Mechanic Street between 20th Street and Centre Street in both 1878 and 1879. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth636857/m1/47/)

Not only did Murphy & Brockelman specialize in marble cutlery, they also manufactured stoves and tinware.

There is no sort of work that he has not the means of satisfactorily performing. A cloud scarcely so large as a man's hand may, after all, be the harbinger of a sweeping gale, or a fructifying rain to come herafter; and a notice no larger than this is still large enough to call attention to the fine stoves, In assortment, kept for sale by Murphy & Brockelman, Mechanic street, Galveston.

(Ref: Galveston Flakes Daily Bulletin, Page 3, February 13, 1870)

Murphy vs. Brockelman faced a few lawsuits during the 1870s. One example is a lawsuit over a mechanics lien that was dismissed in District Court on the date of Saturday, July 22, 1876. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/21465726/)

A lawsuit entitled Murphy vs. Brockelman on the date of Friday, December 25, 1894 is what specifically led Murphy & Brockelman Marble Yard to shut down unexpectedly. Nobody expected their business to shut down so quickly. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/22314694/)


Murphy & Breckelman was located at 21st Street & Mechanic Street, Galveston, Texas, US 77550.

Their other addresses were as follows.:

20th Street & Avenue C, Galveston, Texas, US 77550
20th Street & Centre Street, Galveston, Texas, US 77550
20th Street & Mechanic Street, Galveston, Texas, US 77550
21st Street & Avenue C, Galveston, Texas, US 77550