Houston Heights
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Houston Heights (often referred to simply as "The Heights") is a community located in northwest-central Houston, Texas (USA).
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[edit] History
By 1891 millionaire Oscar Martin Carter and a group of investors established the Omaha and South Texas Land Company. The company purchased 1,756 acres of land and established infrastructure, including alleys, parks, schools, streets and utilities, worth $500,000 United States dollars. When Houston Heights was founded, it was a streetcar suburb of Houston which attracted people who did not wish to live in the dense city. It had its own municipality until the City of Houston annexed the Heights in 1919.[1]
Marilyn Bardsley of Crime Library stated that the Houston Heights became "decrepit" and "tired" after World War II.[2] In the 1970s the Houston Heights was considered to be a low income area of the city.[1] On May 29, 1971 Dean Corll began luring and killing children from the Houston Heights as part of the Houston Child Murders.[2]
From the 1980 U.S. Census to the 1990 Census, the population of the Houston Heights declined by more than 1,000 people per square mile.[3] The Houston Heights Association opened in 1973.[4]
The 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) former fire station at 12th Street at Yale Street was constructed as Houston Heights' city hall and jail, and fire station in 1914. After annexation, it served as a city of Houston fire station from 1918 until 1995. The Houston Heights Association took a 30 year lease on the property from the city and refurbished the property.[5]
[edit] Demographics
The paper "Houston Heights" by Carolee Gearheart of the Aspen Systems Corporation - Housing Research Group and three University of Houston professors describe the Houston Heights as having a "diverse population."[6]
According to the 2000 census, the current population of the Super Neighborhood #15 Greater Heights, which includes the Houston Heights and several surrounding subdivisions [1] [2], is 41,486.[7]
[edit] Racial Breakdown
| Race | SN #15 Data[7] | % of Area Pop. | Houston City Data[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 109 | 0.3% | 3,234 |
| Asian | 312 | 0.8% | 102,706 |
| Black | 1,456 | 3.5% | 487,851 |
| Hispanic | 21,936 | 52.9% | 730,865 |
| Native Hawaiian | 20 | -% | 680 |
| White | 17,254 | 41.6% | 601,851 |
| Two or More | 360 | 0.9% | 23,830 |
| Other | 39 | -% | 2,614 |
[edit] Age Breakdown
This is the age breakdown of Super Neighborhood #15 Greater Heights.
| Age Group | SN #15 Data[7] | % of Area Pop. | Houston City Data[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 Years | 2,962 | 7.1% | 160,797 |
| 5–17 Years | 6,469 | 14.6% | 375,861 |
| 18–65 Years | 28,137 | 67.8% | 1,252,908 |
| 65 and Over | 3,917 | 9.4% | 164,065 |
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary and secondary schools
The Heights is served by Houston Independent School District (HISD).[8] It is in Trustee District I, represented by Natasha Kamrani as of 2009.[9][10] HISD's Central Region offices are located in the Houston Heights in the former Holden Elementary building.[11] Prior to Houston ISD's 2005 reorganization,[12] the North Central District was headquartered in the Cooley Facility in the Heights.[13]
Elementary schools that serve portions of the Houston Heights include Crockett, Field, Harvard, Helms Community Learning Center, Love, and Sinclair.[14][15][16][17][18][19] Middle schools that serve portions of the Houston Heights include Hamilton and Hogg.[20][21] High schools that serve portions of the Houston Heights include Reagan High School and Waltrip High School.[22][23]
Two following state charter schools are located in the Heights; they are: Houston Heights Learning Academy [3] and Houston Heights High School. Three private schools, a K-9 school called The New School in the Heights, Immanuel Lutheran Church and School (K-8) and Houston Outdoor Learning Academy, a 6-12 private school, are in the Houston Heights.
[edit] History of schools in the Houston Heights
Harvard Elementary School opened in 1898. Crockett opened in 1912. In 1914, a businessman donated land for a new elementary school, which became Love Elementary School. Helms Elementary School opened in 1918. Houston Heights Senior High School opened in 1919. Harvard became a part of Houston ISD in 1921 and Love moved to its current location in 1923. In 1925 Heights High School became Hamilton High School. In 1926 Love received a new campus, Hogg opened, and Reagan opened; Hamilton became a junior high school that year. Field opened in February 1929. Sinclair and Waltrip opened in 1959. During the same year, Twenty-Third Street Elementary School in the Houston Heights received fire damage, so it closed. In 1960 Holden Elementary School opened on the site of the former Twenty-Third Street Elementary School. Crockett received a new campus in 1980; during the same year, Cooley Elementary School, which was located in the Houston Heights, closed.[24] In 1997 a small portion of the Houston Heights was rezoned to Waltrip.[25] In 2001 Helms received its current name. Holden closed in May 2004 and students were rezoned to Sinclair and Helms; at the time 52% of students zoned to Holden were enrolled in Holden.[24][26]
[edit] Gallery of schools
 Field Elementary School |
[edit] Public libraries
The Heights Neighborhood Library of the Houston Public Library is located at 1302 Heights Boulevard.[27] The blaxploitation film Sugar Hill (1974) depicted the library as the "Voodoo Museum of Natural History."[citation needed]
[edit] Government and infrastructure
[edit] Local government
By 2000 Houston Heights community retained its prohibition of the sale of alcoholic beverages.[28]
The Houston Fire Department operates Station 15 Heights at 5306 North Main.[29] It is a part of Fire District 6.[30]
The Houston Police Department's Central Patrol Division serves the neighborhood. The Heights Storefront is located at 910 North Durham.[31][32]
In a 1989 Houston Chronicle article Alan Bernstein described political support for Jim Westmoreland, an incumbent in an at-large position, in the Houston Heights as "relatively weak." In one precinct 49.4 percent of the voting residents voted for him. Westmoreland drew controversy after reports of a joke that was characterized as "racist" spread. Beverley Clark, the opponent and a Black teacher, defeated Westmoreland in that race. Bernstein said that the significant racial minority groups and the "social tolerance" trait may have contributed to backlash against Bernstein. In a 1989 Houston Chronicle article, Randy Cypret, the president of the Houston Heights Association, said that the split vote from the Houston Heights may reflect the ethnic division. Cypret added that opposition may have stemmed from Westmoreland's lack of political presence in the Houston Heights and a lack of advocacy for zoning-related issues. Cypret said that he opposed Westmoreland because of "the fact that he considers being on the city council a part-time job. In the fourth largest city in the country, you should take your job more seriously."[33]
[edit] County, state, and federal representation
The area United States Postal Service office is the Heights Post Office at 1050 Yale Street.[34]
[edit] Parks and recreation
The City of Houston operates parks within and around the Houston Heights. The Heights Boulevard Park is located at 100-1900 Heights Boulevard.[35] Milroy Park and Community Center has a playground and lighted tennis courts.[36] Love Park and Community Center are adjacent to the Houston Heights. Love Park has an outdoor basketball pavilion, a 0.2 mile hike and bicycle trail, a playground, a lighted sports field, and a swimming pool. Love Community Center has an indoor gymnasium, meeting rooms, and a weight room.[37]
[edit] Transportation
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates the Heights Transit Center.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "History Tour - Overview." Houston Heights Association. Retrieved on January 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Bardsley, Marilyn. "The Sex, Sadism and Slaughter of Houston's Candy Man." Crime Library. Retrieved on January 13, 2009. 7.
- ^ Rodriguez, Lori. "Census tracks rapid growth of suburbia." Houston Chronicle. Sunday March 10, 1991. Section A, Page 1.
- ^ "About Us." Houston Heights Association. Retrieved on January 17, 2009.
- ^ "HHA PROPERTIES- FIRE STATION." Houston Heights. Accessed October 22, 2008.
- ^ Gearheart, Carolee, Eschback, Karl, Hagan, Jacqueline and Rodriguez, Nestor. "Houston Heights." Cityscape. Volume 4, No. 2. Available at SSRN or [10.2139/ssrn.149458 DOI].
- ^ a b c d e http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/suprnbhds/2001_demog/15_greaterheights.htm
- ^ "Map." Houston Heights. Accessed October 7, 2008.
- ^ "Trustee Districts Map." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 11, 2008.
- ^ "Board I." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on April 30, 2009.
- ^ "Central Region." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
- ^ Home page. Houston Independent School District. July 2, 2005. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
- ^ "North Central District." Houston Independent School District. November 27, 2001. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
- ^ "Crockett Elementary Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Field Elementary Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Harvard Elementary Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Helms Elementary Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Love Elementary Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Sinclair Elementary Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Hamilton Middle Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Hogg Middle Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Reagan High School Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Waltrip High School Attendance Boundary." Houston Independent School District. Accessed October 1, 2008.
- ^ a b "School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names." Houston Independent School District. Accessed September 24, 2008.
- ^ "1996–1997 HISD ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES." Houston Independent School District.
- ^ "HISD Votes To Close 4 Schools." KPRC-TV. April 4, 2004.
- ^ "Heights Neighborhood Library." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on January 17, 2009.
- ^ "Study Area 3." City of Houston. Accessed October 21, 2008.
- ^ "Fire Station 15." City of Houston. Retrieved on January 3, 2009.
- ^ "Fire Districts." City of Houston. Retrieved on January 3, 2009.
- ^ "Crime Statistics for Central Patrol Division." City of Houston.
- ^ "VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support." City of Houston. Retrieved on January 3, 2009.
- ^ Bernstein, Alan. "Core of white support failed to halt Westmoreland's defeat." Houston Chronicle. Sunday November 12, 1989. A1.
- ^ "Post Office Location - HEIGHTS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on January 3, 2009.
- ^ "Our Parks G-N." City of Houston. Retrieved on January 3, 2008.
- ^ "Milroy Community Center." City of Houston. Retrieved on August 16, 2009.
- ^ "Love Community Center." City of Houston. Retrieved on October 10, 2009.
[edit] External links
