Pompeiian Villa’s Vibes On View

October 21st, 2026 in Arts & Culture, Group Tour Planning, History, Things to Do

Pompeiian Villa, viewed after 2026 rennovations

Port Arthur’s Pink House is Oldest in City

Welcome back to Port Arthur’s historic pink house, the oldest in town. The Port Arthur Historical Society and the city of Port Arthur have been renovating and preserving Pompeiian Villa. It’s the seawall home Isaac Ellwood, the Texas Barbed Wire King, built in 1900. It’s open and ready to tour.

A Roman peristyle, link to barbed wire fame and background as a hunting lodge make the Villa a historic highlight on a visit to Port Arthur, the Cajun Capital of Texas.

Chicago architects built this Classical Revival Villa as a winter residence/hunting lodge for Ellwood, a wealthy Illinois businessman. It is inspired by the architecture of ancient Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The Barbed Wire Link

Isaac Ellwood became known as The Barbed-Wire King. He drove a mule team on the Erie Canal, looked for gold in California and saved his wages from clerking in a Sacramento hardware store. In 1855 he headed DeKalb, Illinois where he married Harriet and established a hardware store. He partnered with Joseph Glidden, buying half of his barbed wire patent for $265. The Ellwood House Museum in DeKalb reports that “By 1879, fifty million pounds of barbed wire were being produced annually… Ellwood was well on his way to becoming one of the wealthiest men in Illinois.”

Pretty in Pink: Peristyle Courtyard

In the Mid-1800s, archeological digs were the rage. Excavations unearthed relics from when Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii with lava. Ellwood visited Italy during the dig craze and copied the architectural style for his own design, down to pink Doric columns. A peristyle is a colonnade of columns surrounding an open-air courtyard. From the Greek words peri (around) and stylos (column), it creates a covered walkway.

Boy With Crab Fountain

A statue of a young boy dangling a crab from his outstretched hand is in the center of the fountain’s courtyard. Dana Howard, docent, says later owners, most likely the Craig family, added the fountain when they raised the peristyle floor up to ground level.

The boy’s expression of joy is a perfect connection to the innocence of youth in a coastal town.

Famous Guests include Rauschenberg

Imagine the flow of guests original owners had for hunting trips and holidays. Visitors dined with fine silver and crystal and strolled the courtyard in flowing gowns and tails. In later years, world-famous artist Robert Rauschenberg spent time at the Villa. “Milty” Rauschenberg is from Port Arthur and became famous for his murals, modern art and combines in the 1950s and beyond.

Taking Stock

George Craig, a banker and land developer, got the home in a trade. Craig traded for 10 percent stock of the newly-formed Texas Company, a forerunner to Texaco. It was worth a few thousand dollars at the time. In 1991 the share would have been worth $1.6 billion. Adjusting for inflation since then would bring it to somewhere around $3.9 billion, says Dana Howard, who is often a docent for tours at the Villa.

Port Arthur Historical Society

Port Arthur Historical society acquired the home in the early 1970s. Members note the Villa features furniture and paintings that John W. “Bet-a-Million” Gates owned. His long-gone home was on the plot next door. Former Texas Governor Allan Shivers, a Port Arthur Native, donated the crystal chandelier in the living room.

The Villa had closed in 2024. The city and Society made improvements guided by National Register of Historic Places in America standards. Repairs include repairing storm-damaged roof railings, replacing the front Portico, and updating the home’s 1900s vintage electrical system.

Next on the list: restoring the terracotta roof system, further leveling and painting.