FOR PRESERVATION NEWSLE II ER OF lHE GREAlER HOUSTON PRESERVATION ALLIANCE
Houston's National Register Historic Districts Part VII. The Old Sixth Ward District
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he Old Sixth Ward National Register Historic District, located north of Buffalo Bayou just west downtown Houston, is a neighborhood of mostly late 19th and early 20th century cottages. Bounded by Washington Avenue and Union Street on the north, Houston Avenue on the east, Capitol (north Memorial Way) on the south, and Glenwood Cemetery on the west, the Old Sixth Ward Historic District has the largest concentration of Victorian houses in Houston and represents the oldest intact neighborhood in the city. The district maintains the feeling of a modest selfcontained neighborhood displaying predominantly small one-story Victorian and early 20th century bungalow houses, churches, an elementary school, and a few small neighborhood businesses. Although many of buildings have been demolished since the district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, in most respects this neighborhood has better survived the pressures of unregulated growth and development than most of Houston's other unrestricted inner city neighborhoods. The Old Sixth Ward Historic District was originally part of the 1824 two-league John Austin grant. On July 6, 1838, two years after John K. and Augustus C. Allen founded the town of Houston, S. P. Hollingsworth filed a survey of this area in which he divided the land into large, narrow tracts that ran northward from Buffalo BayouBy early 1839, the part of the Hollingsworth survey that now comprises the Old Sixth Ward Historic District had been conveyed to several prominent early Houstonians: James S. Holman, William R. Baker, Nathan Kempton and Henry R. Allen. Holman, who arrived in Texas shortly after the Battle of San Jacinto and acted as an official agent for the Allen brothers, was Houston's
first mayor. Henry Allen, brother of Augustus C. and John K. Allen, lent his support to the organization of Houston's first chamber of commerce in 1840, served as city alderman, and, during Reconstruction, actively promoted the creation of the Houston Ship Channel Company. W. R. Baker, one of Houston's earliest settlers, was most responsible for the layout of the district as it appears today. Having arrived in Houston at the age of sixteen from Baldwinsville, New York, to work for the Allen brothers, Baker was elected Harris County Clerk in 1841, an office which he held until the eve of the Civil War. From 1880-1886 Baker served as the mayor of HoustOIL Prior to the Civil War, when his financial interests were centered primarily in real estate acquisition,
Baker began buying property in the Hollingsworth tract. By 1858 he and his friends owned or held mortgages on most of this land. Engaging Samuel West as the county surveyor, Baker restructured the plat by converting the entire area to a subdivided lot and block system, laying out the grid to true north, in contrast to the original Houston town plat, which is laid out at a 45 degree angle to true north. The first sale under the new platting occurred on January 31, 1859, when Baker transferred two blocks to W. W. Leeland. As the primary director of railroad operations in Houston, Baker served as president of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad for many years. The development of Baker's addition coincided closely with the
Restored 2118 Decatur exemplifies characteristic 19th century cottage construction in Old Sixth Ward District (photo by Clarence Bagby).
Railway, whose route, authorized by the state legislature in 1856, approached Houston from the northwest. This area was intended to attract the immigrant families working on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, and the success of the railroad greatly influenced the growth of the neighborhood. Although the financial panic of 1857 and subsequent Civil War slowed settlement in the area, the 1860 census shows that the character of this area was already changing. Land that a few years earlier had been occupied by scattered farms was being transformed into a more thickly populated residential neighborhood. The machine shop of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad was located nearby. Census records indicate that the area was occupied by railroad workers, bricklayers and construction workers as well as by druggists, clerks, tailors, doctors, bakers, printers, attorneys and merchants. After the Civil War, the Houston and Texas Central was the first railroad to resume building. In 1873 it reached Denison, where the terminus of the line connected with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, giving the state its first through line to St. Louis. The success of the railroad influenced the growth of this neighborhood, which was originally part of Houston's Fourth Ward. Increase in the population led the municipal government to separate this Fourth Ward North district from its parent ward and reorganize it as the Sixth
The Adams house at 2303 Decatur was demolished as part of the 1969 Sa'W)'er Street improvement project (photo courtesy Lance Griffin). Ward in 1876. In 1871 Glenwood Cemetery opened to the west of the residential section. Washington Street was graded in 1872 and more businesses began to locate along this thoroughfare. Several private schools opened in the area in the 1870s. By 1878 the Houston street railway extended along Washington Avenue. The whole area was filling up with residences and businesses. Settlement of the Sixth Ward continued and the number of businesses increased during
the 1.880s. Among the commercial establishments were blacksmith shops on Washington, three boarding houses, the Houston Brick Works at the south end of Sabine, two saloons on Washington, a watchmaker and jeweler on Washington and six grocery stores in the immediate area. In 1885 and 1887 the business district along Washington Avenue was known as the "uptown" business community of Houston, as opposed to the Market Square and City Hall路
Calendar March 1 March 14 March 18 March 20 April 1 April 12 April 13-19 April 15 April 16 April 17 April 21 April 25-27
GHPA Endangered Buildings Committee Brown Bag Lunch, 12:00 noon GHPA Annual Meeting, Majestic Metro Theater, 6:00 p.rn. GHPA Walking Tour, Main Street/Market Sq. Historic District, 2:00 p.rn. GHPA Walking Tour, Main Street/Market Sq. Historic District, 12:00 noon Deadline for submissions for May/June newsletter GHPA Endangered Buildings Committee Brown Bag Lunch, 12:30 p.rn. Texas Archeology Awareness Week GHPA Walking Tour, Main Street/Market Sq. Historic District, 2:00 p.rn. GHPA Board Meeting GHPA Walking Tour, Main Street/Market Sq. Historic District, 12:00 noon "Step Back in Time" Centennial Stroll on Heights Boulevard, 12:00 noon5:00 p.rn. Texas Historical Commission/Preservation Texas Alliance Annual Historic Preservation Conference, "The Spindietop Century," Beaumont.
Memorials In Memory Of:
Received From:
Vivian B. Truxillo Jane Ellen Cable Michael Wilson
Beverly Pennington Ann Ivins
Nia D. Becnel
Charles Maynard John Hannah Kathy Wild Vicki List Beverly Pennington Tx. Chapter of Society of Arch. Historians
area which was known as the "downtown" business community. As a result of the location of the Houston and Texas Central and its railroad shops in the vicinity, the Old Sixth Ward became the home for a number of craftsmen whose 'W'Orkmanship was expressed on many of the neighborhood
During the late 1880s, Washington Avenue was known as Houston's Uptown.
houses. James McGee, the master car builder in charge of the Houston and Texas Central car shop, constructed several houses within the Old Sixth Ward. Between 1882 and 1888 he 'W'Orked on No. 10 Trinity (Shudde Hat Brothers) and on No. 68 Kane. In 1892 McGee built a house for George Augustus on lot 10, block 427, as well as four other houses in the district. Two brothers, Conrad and August Bering, also worked in the Old Sixth Ward. The Berings were German immigrants who arrived with their parents in Galveston in 1846. The family settled in Houston and the brothers operated a successful construction and lumber business across the Long Bridge in the Old Sixth Ward near the HTC Depot. A third recorded builder was Henry Holtkamp, who built on lot 9, block 440 in 1892. While a variety of architectural styles is evident in the Old Sixth Ward, the majority of houses are similar in scale and materials. Several examples of the small Greek Revival cottages in the district display typically symmetrical compositions with simple attached galleries. Some of these houses reflect a late adaptation of this style, with the incorporation into the Greek Revival plan of Victorian elements such as narrow two-oyer-two and four-oyer-four light windows and ornamental millwork. Good examples of the Greek Revival style include houses at 1909 Decatur Street, 1904 Kane Street, 701 Sawyer, and 617 Silver. Victorian architecture is the predominant style in the district. The one-story, ell-shaped cottage and the symmetrical Victorian houses
are the most frequently used plans. A few examples include houses at 2113 Union, 2303 Union, 2018 Lubbock and 2210 and 2212 Decatur Street_ Most of these structures, regardless of plan, display a Victorian gallery elaborated by turned posts, balustrades, brackets and jigsaw detailing. One particular motif that is repeated on several Victorian galleries is a bird motif. This unique detail, found nowhere else in Houston, is attributed to a local craftsman around 1890. The houses where this detail is used include 2219 Decatur Street, 2210 Decatur Street, and 1910 Kane. There are numerous examples, as well, of shotgun houses, represented by the houses at 2011 and 2013 Decatur and 2010, 1012 and 2014 Kane Street. A few examples of larger twostory Victorian residences are 1910 Kane Street, 1506 State Street with its sweeping porches and gable detail, and the McGowen House at 1519 Lubbock. Reflecting the growth of the city during the early 20th century are numerous examples of bungalow cottages, exemplified by the houses at 803 Henderson and 711 Sabine.
A few small commercial structures scattered throughout the district reflect the area's sense of a self-contained neighborhood. Examples include the Roeder Building at 1718 Lubbock; the Simon Hubig Pie Factory at 201820 Capitol, adapted for use as offices; the corner grocery stores at 715 Henderson and 1819 Kane Street as well as some cafes along Washington and Union Streets. Although the majority of the houses in the district are modest, one-story, frame cottages, one particular house stands out as different in both architecture and scale. The two-story, brick Classical Revival house at 2018 Kane Street was built in 1906 by Henry R. Lighthouse, a noted industrialist, who together with his brothers, had made his fortune in brick, concrete and wood in Houston. Lighthouse owned and operated the Lighthouse Brick Works (now the Andy Cordell Brick Company) on the east side of Houston. Brick from this company was used to build many of Houston's most notable buildings, such as the When first buildings at Rice University. Lighthouse made his fortune in the early 1900s,
GHPA members recently joined the Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association and Metropolitan Community Church in a stabilization/cleanup project in the district (photo by Margie Elliott).
he chose to build his large two-story home in his current neighborhood, the Old Sixth Ward, rather than in one of the new wealthier subdivisions as was the practice of many of Houston's nouveau riche_ For this reason the two-story, brick Classical Revival house contrasts with the general character of the neighborhood. Fire Station No. 6 at 1702 Washington Avenue, built in 1903 in a late Victorian architectural style with north Italian Romanesque detailing, originally served the area known as North Side Buffalo Bayou to White Oak Bayou and the city limits. The horses were housed in stalls in either side of the central bay and the harness dropped from hangars above their stalls when the fire bell sounded. This is one of the two oldest firehouses still standing in Houston. The Knapp Chevrolet Building at 815 North Houston Avenue is one of the most recent of the architecturally significant buildings in the district. Built in 1940-41 by architect R. Newell Waters, this building is an example of late Streamline Moderne styling, though without any of the special decorative elements encountered on buildings by Joseph Finger and others who produced work in the Moderne style. The original owners, Knapp Chevrolet, continue to occupy and maintain the building. St. Joseph's Catholic Church and rectory occupy all of the 1500 block of Kane Street. Established in 1880 as the first Catholic church north of Buffalo Bayou, the original wooden church with steeple was built on the corner of Houston Avenue and Kane Street. Also on the property was a school taught by the Incarnate Word Sisters. The 1900 hurricane destroyed the original frame building, and in 1901 a new brick church was begun, designed by architect Patrick. S. Rabbit, who was trained in the office of Nicholas J. Clayton in Galveston. Rabbitt was Clayton'S partner from 1890-1898 and was married to Clayton's cousin. George E. Dickey, one of Houston's best known architects at that time, was construction supervisor. Architecturally, St. Joseph's Church displays a rich and unusual character with rounded arch Romanesque styling used in combination with opus spicatum. an ornamental bond resulting from laying bricks
The bird motif seen bere in the jigsaw detailing at 2219 Decatur is unique to the Old Sixth Ward District (photo by Clarence Bagby).
to project diagonally from the face of the wall in a sawtooth configuration. Both of these elements were hallmarks of Clayton's architectural style. A statue of the Sacred Heart, the only thing saved from the 1900 storm, is now in the sanctuary of the current building. The building now housing the Metropolitan Community Church of the Resurrection on Decatur was originally the Tabernacle Baptist Church, organized by members of Houston's First Baptist Church in 1891. This building was completed in 1929. Another focal point in the district is Dow Elementary School, located at the center of the Old Sixth Ward Historic District. Although the current site has been occupied only since 1912, this block was originally purchased by the school system in 1876. The first public school in the neighborhood, known as the Fourth Ward School, housed 110 children in a building at the foot of Trinity Street in 1885. As a result of increased enrollment, a two-story,
six-room building was constructed at 1600 Washington and in 1888 the school name was officially changed to honor the memory of Justin E. Dow, an early principal and superintendent in the Houston Public Schools. In 1912 a 16-room building was built at 1911 Kane Street and this building has continued, with subsequent additions, to serve as the neighborhood primary school. When HISD announced plans in 1990 to close Dow School along with several other schools, the Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association formed The Committee to Save Dow School/EI Comite para Salvar La Escuela Dow. Public meetings of parents and concerned neighbors received extensive media coverage, and it was agreed that the school would remain open at least through the 1990-91 school year. A neighborhood association volunteer program supports the school and is working to prevent its closing. A relatively new neighborhood feature is Sixth Ward Park, developed in 1987-88
through the partnership of St. Joseph's Church, the Multi路Ethnic Cultural Arts Committee, a class of landscape architecture students from Texas A&M, Slaney Santana Group, and the contributions of numerous consultants and volunteers. The park, which is a designated art park, is a showcase for the monumental mural ':A United Community" (Sylvia Orosco and Pio Pulido, 1985), next to St. Joseph's Church, and for a sculptural fountain, a pavilion stage, and other artwork. Beyond the distinctive architectural elements in the district, the old Sixth Ward has long been noted for its ethnic diversity. Beginning with a wave of German immigrants in the 1870s, the neighborhood has been at various times the home of Swedes, Germans, English, Irish, French, Swiss, Italians, Poles, and Latin Americans. Because the area tended to attract immigrant workers for the railroad, the district residents have come from a variety of national backgrounds. Ethnic diversity remains one of the primary distinguishing characteristics of the community today and a point of pride among current residents.
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This article concludes our series of information articles about Houston's seven National Register districts. Most of the information for this article came from the application submitted by the Texas Historical Commission for National Register listing of this district. Thanks also to Clarence Bagby and other members of the Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association for their assistance in tracking down additional details.
Did You Remember? 1.
to send back your membership survey? Thanks to everyone who already has done so. If you meant to do it, but misplaced the form--or if for some reason you didn't receive a form-路please give us a call at 236路 5000 and we'll send you another. We want
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to hear from all GHPA members, even if what you have to say is disapproving. We need to know what you think in order to plan programs that are right for our members and for Houston. Please do your part. The return envelope needs no additional postage. to mark your calendars for the March 14 Annual Meeting at the Majestic Metro Theater? Invitations have been mailed. If you need another one, please call 236-5000.
Houston Heights Centennial Celebration
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he Houston Heights has turned back the hands of time in 1991 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its founding. In commemoration, the Houston Heights Association has planned a series of special events to highlight the community. Festivities kicked off on January 15 with the Centennial Ball and Victorian Fashion Show. Memorabilia dating from the 1890s went on display March 1 at the historic Lambert Items Hall of Heights Christian Church. featured in the display have been collected for a historical museum which organizers hope to permanently fund and locate in the Houston Heights. The centennial exhibit features room vignettes depicting early Heights homes as well as other examples of furnishings, clothing and photographs. The exhibit will be on display every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.rn. through June 2, 1991. Take a "Step Back in Time" on April 21, 1991, with an old路 fashioned Sunday Stroll on Heights Boulevard. The Houston Heights Association and the Parks and Recreation Department are sponsoring this event. From 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.rn., the Stroll will feature entertainment on two stages, pushcart food vendors, crafts and games - all in the manner of the 1890s. Heights Boulevard will be closed to traffic from 14th Street through 19th Street to recreate a turn-of-thecentury street scene.
From the Director
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ity of Houston Ordinance No. 91-63, adopted unanimously by Houston City Council on January 9, 1991 is great news for Houston preservationists as it established the Houston Planning and Zoning Commission and set into motion a process to develop a comprehensive plan for the city together with zoning ordinances to implement the plan. The ordinance provides further that the preservation of historic resources and designation of historic districts will be part of the plan. The Department of Planning and Development is already at work researching the feasibility of Resource Overlay Districts, especially for the purposes of historic and cultural preservation. Houston still doesn't have a preservation ordinance; historic buildings and neighborhoods are just as much at risk as they were last year. But this is a very important start in the right direction. GHPA is volunteering its services to the Houston Archeological and Historical Commission to help facilitate the collection and exchange of information about possible candidate areas for historic districts and provisions for their designation and protection. If you are interested in participating in these discussions, please call 236-5000. Our hat is off to Mayor Whitmire and Houston City Council for taking this important step. Special thanks go to Councilmember Jim Greenwood for his perseverance and dedication to this issue for more than a year and to Councilmember Eleanor Tinsley for ensuring the inclusion of specific provisions for historic preservation. Please be sure to thank them all for this opportunity to work to preserve our historic resources. Margie Elliott
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Graham Lilhn presideriFe1p;,.;f , , Barthe! Truxillo, '1st ViceP~~: Minnette Boesel, 2nd Vice ' President
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Jb6ii: C~away Mrs.-,joh'n ,t{ Crooker, Jr. ",::Mik'e''Oavis' Mrs>Lee ,M: Ellwood Edwin A. Eubanks Will Fisher Stephen Fox Susan Hill Truett Latimer The Reverend John A. Logan , O. Jack MitChell " Marth,i''MJrp,hree TtJe Honorable Reyes The Honorable Vince Ryan The Honorable' Elearior Tinsley Gary Warwick
Texas preservationists will gather for the annual statewide Historic Preservation Conference, April 25-27, 1991, in Beaumont. Located near the site of the 1901 oil discovery at Spindle top, this year's conference will focus on preserving the legacies that oil booms and busts have left to Texas. Tho preconference workshops will be offered on Thursday, April 25. "Marking Local History: How to Prepare a Successful Historical Marker Application" will feature Texas Historical Commission staff members discussing application procedures and criteria for obtaining Texas Historical Markers. "Creative Fund-raising for Preservation Organizations", sponsored by Preservation Texas Alliance, will address the development of income and membership strategies, product sales, services, tours, admission fees, and special events. Four optional bus tours will offer conference participants a closer look at the history and architecture of the JeffersonOrange County area. Call 512/463-6100.
~ A five-part lecture series "Silent Shadows: Japanese Contemporary Architecture and the City" sponsored by Rice Design Alliance begins April 3 with a presentation by Botond Bognar, professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champain, of an overview of contemporary Japanese architectural traditions
and their interpretations in the modern Japanese city. Tickets to the lecture series are $20 for RDA and Museum of Fine Arts members, $25 for non-members and $15 for students. For information and reservations, call 524-6297.
~ A spring symposium will be held at the Winedale Historical Center on Saturday, March 9, 1990 in the Meadows Foundation Education Center. Speakers include Jim Steely, Texas Historical Commission, "Settlement Patterns and Demographics in 19th Century Texas"; Barry A. Greenlaw, Decorative and Fine Arts Consultant, "Fine and Decorative Arts in 19th Century Texas"; James D. David, Landscape Architect, Austin, "Early Texas Gardens, Garden Elements and Landscaping." Call 409/278-3530 for information.
~ The Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has announced the return to Houston of the chapter's ex-MKT coach No. 1205, the New Braunfels, after an extended stay at a San Antonio car repair shop. The car is still awaiting new glazing, interior restoration, and mechanical work. For information, contact the Society at P. O. Box 457, Houston, TX 77001-0457.
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