Riverside Terrace is a neighborhood in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is along

Texas State Highway 288 State Highway 288 (SH 288) is a north–south highway in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Texas, between Interstate 45, I-45 in downtown Houston, Texas, Houston and Freeport, Texas, Freeport, where it terminates on Farm t ...

and north of the

Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a List of neighborhoods in Houston, neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. It is immediately south of the Houston Museum District, Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 6 ...

and located near

Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black university in Houston. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund an ...

and

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

. There about 20 sections of Riverside Terrace that span across North and South MacGregor. The community, formerly an affluent Jewish neighborhood, became an affluent community for African Americans in the 1950s and '60s. It is still predominantly

African American neighborhood African-American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Generally, an African American neighborhood is one where the majority of the people who live there are African American ...

with different income levels. It has been undergoing a gradual change in demographics and aesthetics due to

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

efforts since the early 2000s. Some articles of the ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...

'' describe it as within Third Ward, while some articles discuss Riverside Terrace as being a separate community.

History

Development of Riverside Terrace began in 1924, and it was initially done by the president of Guardian Trust Company, Clarence Malone, who had cofounded the company.Michaelides, p. 72. Guardian provided the financing, and the first section to open was the portion between Almeda Road, Blodgett Street, Live Oak Street, and Oakdale Street. The brochures highlighted the location of Riverside Terrace, which was considered favorable at the time.Kaplan, Barry J. (

).
Race, Income, and Ethnicity: Residential Change in a Houston Community, 1920-1970
" ''The Houston Review''. Winter 1981. pp. 178-202. CITED: p. 183. Riverside Terrace was designed for wealthier families.Kaplan, Barry J. (

).
Race, Income, and Ethnicity: Residential Change in a Houston Community, 1920-1970
" ''The Houston Review''. Winter 1981. pp. 178-202. CITED: p. 184. In 1927 it was annexed by the City of Houston.Kaplan, Barry J. (

).
Race, Income, and Ethnicity: Residential Change in a Houston Community, 1920-1970
" ''The Houston Review''. Winter 1981. pp. 178-202. CITED: p. 186.

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

families moved to Riverside Terrace in the 1920s and 1930s since they were not allowed to settle in other wealthy Houston neighborhoods, including

River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael ...

.Feser, Katherine.
Much history flows through Riverside
" ''

''. July 9, 2002. Retrieved on April 18, 2009. "It's a great neighborhood for children," says Lee, who is raising two children there. Many attend private schools or public schools with magnet programs. " and "Schools: Southland Elementary, Cullen Middle School, Yates High School " Therefore it became known as the "Jewish River Oaks". At the time most residents of Riverside Terrace were Christian. Allison Wollam of the ''

Houston Business Journal American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes ''The Business Journals'', which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market ...

'' stated that Riverside Terrace "was once on the same affluent level as the swanky River Oaks area."Wollam, Allison.
Riverside Terrace bucks housing slowdown
" ''

''. August 15, 2008. Retrieved on April 18, 2009. "It’s becoming common practice for homes in the Riverside Terrace area — a historic Inner-Loop neighborhood bounded by Scott, North MacGregor, Almeda and Wheeler .. During that period the neighborhood hosted the houses of the prominent

Weingarten Weingarten may refer to: Places * Weingarten, Württemberg, Germany, a town ** Weingarten Abbey * Weingarten (Baden), Germany, a municipality * Weingarten, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a municipality * Weingarten, Thuringia, Germany, a village an ...

, Finger, and McGregor families. By the 1950s initial development finished. In 1952, a wealthy

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

cattleman named Jack Caesar moved to the neighborhood. He stayed despite the fact that a bomb detonated on his front porch. Several Riverside Terrace residents opposed the growth of the community's black population, with some not wishing for racial-based violence to occur in the community and with some on the grounds that property values could decline. In 1959, land clearance began for the construction of the new

freeway, destroying several Riverside Terrace houses. Although Caesar's home was in the path of the freeway, it was moved to another location south of Houston.Schilcutt, Katharine.
Houston 101: The Forgotten Mansions of Riverside Terrace
" ''

Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown Houston, Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely ...

''. Friday August 28, 2009. Retrieved on September 8, 2009. Many

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

families left Riverside Terrace and settled in

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

s. The percentage of the population being white declined from 97% in 1950 to 5% in 1970. The population during that period increased due to the subdivision of former mansions and houses into smaller housing units and the establishment of apartments, going from 7,635 in 1950 to 12,519 in 1970.Kaplan, Barry J. (

).
Race, Income, and Ethnicity: Residential Change in a Houston Community, 1920-1970
" ''The Houston Review''. Winter 1981. pp. 178-202. CITED: p. 193. In the 1960s some white residents who wanted the neighborhood to stabilize as an integrated neighborhood posted signs stating "This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale." In response to the influx of black residents and spurred on by unscrupulous real estate agents instigating anxieties about falling home values, many white residents sold their homes and moved to other areas of the city. In the spring of 1963 the South Macgregor Promotion Committee formed. It says that it placed the "not for sale" not because it was against African Americans moving in, but because it wanted to prevent block busting. African-American and civil rights figures backed the "not for sale" campaign. In 1963 the community had 175 African American families. The South Macgregor group, which had no black members in 1963, and African-American leaders met and decided that a ratio of between 65-85% White and 15-35% Black would be beneficial to members of both racial groups. The community gradually transitioned into being majority black and with both affluent African Americans and lower socioeconomic residents. Wealthy African-American doctors, lawyers, politicians, and university professors moved into Riverside Terrace. ''Houston Chronicle'' columnist Joy Sewing, who was born and raised in Riverside Terrace, wrote, "Even the more affluent Riverside Terrace area, which was once considered the 'Jewish River Oaks' and loosely part of Third Ward, has never been given its respect. When Black professionals began moving into the area in the 1950s and '60s, white folks got scared and moved out. A few history reports say it became 'Black River Oaks,' and it did." Riverside continued to be shaped by forces including the departure of area businesses, the growth of UH and TSU campuses, construction of Highway 288, and the decision to locate a county psychiatric hospital in the neighborhood. As time progressed foreclosure and

white flight The white flight, also known as white exodus, is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the Racism ...

lead to neglect of several mansions. Due to lack of zoning, many large single family houses were converted into apartments, and additional low income apartment blocks were built in the area. Other large houses were converted into housing for fraternities and sororities. Many area businesses catering to the wealthy closed, and nightclubs moved in their place. Jon Schwartz, creator of the 1985 documentary, ''This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale'', a film documenting Riverside Terrace, states that the neighborhood stabilized after 1970. Circa 1981 the Houston Planning Commission, in Kaplan's words, gave Riverside Terrace a "fair" rating and stated that it continued to be a "viable community that is generally well maintained" although the northern portion was "in a stage of incipient decline" and that overall "continued decline was likely."Kaplan, Barry J. (

).
Race, Income, and Ethnicity: Residential Change in a Houston Community, 1920-1970
" ''The Houston Review''. Winter 1981. pp. 178-202. CITED: p. 196. By the 1980s area residents were concerned that gentrification from white people and property acquisitions from area universities and the Texas Medical Center may affect their community. Riverside Terrace house sales did not follow the general housing slump in the United States of the late 2000s. The late 2000s has also seen couples and families moving into Riverside Terrace to improve formerly derelict mansions, though some houses remained neglected and abandoned. By 2008 some older properties were demolished and replaced with newer housing. Lisa Gray of the ''

'' stated that this too was a gradual process. Recent improvements include re-development of hike and bike trails along Braes Bayou, aesthetic improvements to Almeda Road (including brick pavement and decorative street lighting), as well as renovation and modernization of some notable older homes. In 2021 a historic district was proposed. After an initial failed attempt, as the majority of the residents in the original area voted it down, the proposal was scaled down to include 18 houses, and the people in that territory voted in favor. The passing threshold of each vote was 66%. Some area residents oppose the proposal for fear it could increase prices of housing. Erica Greider of the ''Houston Chronicle'' argued against trying to immediately make a concerted push for a historic district. Citing that there were not enough people in Riverside Terrace wanting the historic designation, in June 2022

Mayor of Houston The following is a list of people who have served as mayor of the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. Qualifications, election, and terms To file to run for mayor, a person must be a qualified voter of the city of Houston, and have h ...

Sylvester Turner Sylvester Turner (September 27, 1954 – March 5, 2025) was an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from January 2025 until his death in March 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democra ...

announced that he nixed the plan.

Composition

Riverside Terrace is in proximity to the intersection of South MacGregor Way and

. It is east of the

and

Hermann Park Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Houston Museum District, Museum District. The park is located to the immediate north end of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Texas Medical Center and Brays Ba ...

, and south of

Interstate 45 Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. While most primary Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, ...

(Gulf Freeway).Kearney, Syd. ''A Marmac Guide to Houston and Galveston''.

Pelican Publishing Pelican Publishing Company is a book publisher based in Elmwood, Louisiana, with a New Orleans postal address. - The address states "New Orleans, LA" but the physical location iin the Elmwood CDPp. 222
Retrieved from

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...

on October 21, 2012. , 9781589805484. "South of the Gulf Freeway is Riverside Terrace, with both Texas Southern University and the University of Houston at its door. It borders still another recreational facility at MacGregor Park." Riverside Terrace is about from

Downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10 in Texas, Interstate 10, Interstate 45 ...

. Shad Bogany of Bogany Properties said in 2002 that the proximity to major landmarks such as tertiary educational institutions, the Texas Medical Center, the

Houston Astrodome The NRG Astrodome, formerly and also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, was the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States. It seated around 50,000 fans, with a record atte ...

, and museums is "What sells Riverside Terrace". Allison Wollam of the ''

'' stated that Riverside Terrace is bounded by Scott Street, North MacGregor, Almeda Road, and Wheeler Street. Laura Michaelides of ''Houston House and Home'' stated that the boundaries were Almeda and Calhoun on the west and eastern ends, and that Riverside Terrace was on both sides of the Brays Bayou.Michaelides, p. 72-73. Laura Michaelides of ''Houston House and Home'' stated that the "gracious" houses on large lots, "large overhanging trees", and a "remarkably hilly" terrain make the area "truly picturesque".Michaelides, p. 73. Lawrence Wright of ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...

'', in 1982, described Macgregor Way, a major road through Riverside Terrace, as "the center of the Black moneyed elite, one of the wealthiest minority neighborhoods in the country" and that it has "central boulevards and bravura mansions" which means the road "recalls—in quite deliberate fashion—the shoulder-to-shoulder palaces of River Oaks." Riverside Terrace has 1,315 houses, which range from to . 23 subdivisions are within Riverside Terrace. Many houses use the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

and

Mid-Century Modern Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 197 ...

architectural styles. The houses built early in the community's history tend to be Colonial and Tudor Revival varieties while the Mid-Century houses were built in the 1950s. Many styles of houses in Riverside Terrace include those developed by John Chase,

John Staub John Fanz Staub (September 12, 1892 – April 13, 1981) was an American residential architect who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in Houston, Texas from the 1920s to 1960s. He was a grandson of Peter Staub, who s ...

, Katherine Mott, and

Joseph Finger Joseph Finger (7 March 1887 – 6 February 1953) was an Austrian American architect. After immigrating to the United States in 1905, Finger settled in Houston, Texas in 1908, where he would remain for the duration of his life. Finger is best ...

. In 2002 Katherine Feser of the ''

'' said "Today, the homes in Riverside Terrace are as diverse as the characters that shaped its history." As of 2002 many houses have burglar bars. Feser said in 2002 that " ny homes have been refurbished but chipping paint blemishes several of the beautiful old brick homes." Lot sizes range up to , while some lots are small. As of 2002 Riverside Terrace houses were priced from $30,000 ($ in today's money) to $1 million ($ million in today's money). By 2008 McMansions and townhouses began to replace older housing units. In 2004 some properties in Riverside Terrace sold for below $200,000 ($ in current money), but real estate listings were scarce. Residents of Riverside Terrace include athletes, politicians, educators, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals.

Sheila Jackson Lee Sheila Jackson Lee ( Jackson; January 12, 1950 – July 19, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician who was the U.S. representative for , from 1995 until her death in 2024. The district includes most of central Houston. She was a member of ...

, a U.S. congressperson, said that Riverside Terrace has "a real potpourri of people that like inner city living in a beautiful neighborhood." She added that Riverside Terrace is "a great neighborhood for children.". Other noted residents have included actresses and sister
Phylicia Rashad Allen
and Debbie Allen, also a noted dancer and producer. The community includes Weingarten House, which was the historical family residence of the Weingarten's grocery and real estate family and housed the

president from 1961 until 1977. Riverside Terrace, like The Heights and other inner-loop communities, is experiencing gentrification, with more white people moving into the neighborhood. There are emerging issues of displacing African American residents due to rising property taxes and dismissing the rich culture of the community. In 2017, ''The Houston Forward Times'' penned the article
"The Disrespect of Gentrification"

Demographics

Riverside Terrace had 7,635 residents in 1950. It was initially a majority white community, as 97% of its residents in 1950 were white; the remaining black population was mostly domestic servants living with their employers. It had 10,027 residents and was 25% white in 1960; 11% of the residents had lived in Riverside Terrace in 1955, and of the population that did not, 78% previously lived in central Houston. 95% of the residents of the section north of the Brays Bayou were African-American during that year. Riverside Terrace had 12,519 residents and was 5% white in 1970.

Government and infrastructure

In the 1991 Houston mayoral race (see

), most Riverside Terrace voters voted for

; the voter turnout for Riverside Terrace was almost 50 percent.

Houston City Council The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. The Council has sixteen members: eleven from council districts and five elected at-large. The members of the Council are elected every four years, wi ...

District D covers Riverside Terrace. As of 2020, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz represents the district.

Harris Health System The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includ ...

(formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the Quentin Mease Health Facility (formerly Quentin Mease Community Hospital) within Riverside Terrace. It was previously a long-term care hospital but as of 2021 is being transformed into an outpatient facility. The designated Harris Health System public clinic is the

Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his a ...

Health Center. - See ZIP code 77004
See this map for relevant ZIP codes
At one point, the MLK health center was located on the first and third floors of Quentin Mease.
" ''

Harris County Hospital District The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includ ...

''. Accessed October 28, 2008. On May 14, 2010, MLK relocated to a site in southern Houston, on Swingle Road.A Proud History of Caring for More Than 45 Years
"

. Retrieved on February 9, 2012. The designated public hospital is

Ben Taub General Hospital Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students fr ...

in the

. The Parkwood Drive Civic Club (PDCC), established in 1924, serves a community in the Riverside Terrace area. Another area civic associations include Riverside Civic Association, which is bounded by Highway 288, Blodgett, the Columbia Tap Biking Trail and North MacGregor. It includes Riverside Terrace Sections 1-5. West MacGregor Home Owners Association also includes Riverside Terrace sections.

Education

Colleges and Universities

Riverside Terrance is less than a mile away from Texas Southern University and the University of Houston. Riverside Terrance is also close to

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

, University of Saint Thomas,

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) is a public academic health science center in Houston, Texas, United States. It was created in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. It is located ...

University of Houston–Downtown The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1974 as University of Houston–Downtown College (UH–DC), it has a campus that spans in Downtown Houston with a satellite loc ...

, and

Houston Community College Houston Community College (HCC), also known as the Houston Community College System (HCCS), is a community college that operates community colleges in Houston, Texas, Houston, Missouri City, Texas, Missouri City, Greater Katy, and Stafford, Texas ...

- Central.

Primary and secondary schools

As of 2002 many residents attend magnet programs in public schools and private schools.

Public schools

Energy_Institute_High_School_August_2018

The neighborhood is zoned to schools in the

Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest Public school (government funded), public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the ci ...

. The community is within Trustee District IV, represented by Paula M. Harris as of 2009. Zoned elementary schools serving portions of Riverside Terrace include Lockhart in Riverside Terrace, Thompson, MacGregor, and Poe outside of Riverside Terrace. All area residents are zoned to Cullen Middle School. Most residents are zoned to

Yates High School Jack Yates Senior High School is a public high school located at 3650 Alabama Street, very near Texas Southern University, in the historic Third Ward in Houston, Texas. Yates High School handles grades nine through twelve and is part of the Hous ...

in the Third Ward, while some are zoned to Lamar High School in

Upper Kirby Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after Kirby Drive, so indirectly takes its name from John Henry Kirby. Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the ...

. Beginning in 2018 the magnet middle school

Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan (BCMAR) is a magnet middle school in Houston Independent School District (HISD), located in the Third Ward, Houston, Texas. It is located in the former Ryan Middle School. It is in association with ...

also serves as a boundary option for students zoned to Blackshear, Lockhart, and MacGregor elementary schools. The magnet school Energy Institute High School is in the area. The original section of Riverside Terrace was several blocks away from South End Junior High School, which later became San Jacinto High School and is now the central campus of

(HCC), and the first Riverside Terrace section was in proximity to Southmore Elementary School (now MacGregor Elementary). The original brochure for Riverside Terrace from the 1920s highlighted the proximities of the schools. The current Lockhart building, constructed as part of the 2007 Bond, has of space. Turner, a school which was in Riverside Terrace, closed in 2009 and was consolidated into Lockhart. By Spring 2011 a new campus was scheduled to be built on the Turner site.Board Approves School Closings and Consolidations
" ''

''. November 14, 2008. In 2009 Turner, which occupied a building from the 1920s, had 259 students. The HISD board had approved the consolidation on November 12, 2008 despite the opposition of Sheila Jackson Lee and Sammye Prince Hughes, the head of the Turner parent-teacher organization and the president of the Southwood Civic Club. The current Lockhart building was dedicated on August 22, 2013. Residents were previously zoned to Ryan Middle School (at the current BCM Ryan location); it closed in 2013 with students reassigned to Cullen Middle.

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Houston operates area

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

private schools. There is one Catholic school in the area, St. Mary of the Purification School (

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through grade 5). St. Mary, located in the Riverside Terrace area, opened in a temporary building on September 8, 1930. The building was blessed on October 27. The Sisters of Dominic operated the school until it closed in 1967. The school reopened in 1980 as a

Montessori school The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...

.About St. Mary's Montessori School
" ''St. Mary of the Purification School''. Retrieved on April 14, 2009. Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church operates Wheeler Avenue Christian Academy which currently serves students in Kindergarten through grade 5. St. Peter the Apostle Middle School was formerly in the area. St. Peter the Apostle in the Third Ward, before its closure, was a PreK-8 school. Its peak enrollment was about 600 students in the 1960s. Prior to 2009 St. Peter was a middle school with grades 6-8; that year St. Philip Neri School merged into St. Peter, making it PK-8. From 2014 to 2019 enrollment declined by 70%. In 2019 St. Peter the Apostle had 33 students; in May 2019 the Archdiocese announced that it was going to close. Debra Haney, the superintendent of schools of the Galveston-Houston diocese, stated that the enrollment decreased due to the proliferation of

charter schools A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

Public libraries

The Third Ward area, including Riverside Terrace, is served by the

Houston Public Library Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. History Houston Lyceum and the Carnegie Library The Houston Public Library system traces its founding to the creation of the second Houston Lyceum in ...

Smith Neighborhood Library at 3624 Scott Street.

Parks and recreation

MacGregor Park MacGregor Park-Neagle Field is a park and baseball venue in the Third Ward, Houston, Third Ward, Houston, Houston, Texas, and the home field of the Texas Southern University, Texas Southern Tigers baseball team. The Tigers are a member of the S ...

, Riverside Park, Mills Bennett Park, and Parkwood Park are located in the area as well as the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail and the Columbia Tap Trail. Riverside Park is in Riverside Terrace Section 5. Parkwood Park is in Section 10. The original 1920s brochure emphasized the community's proximity to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and

Notable residents

*Debbie Allen - American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer * John S. Chase – first Black architect in Texas * Beyoncé and Solange Knowles – singer-songwriters *Fredell Lack - American violinist *

– U.S. Representative and resident since 1979 * Otis Massey – mayor of Houston *Phylicia Rashad - American actress *Stephen Susman – plaintiffs' attorney and founding partner of Susman Godfrey (childhood neighborhood) *Wesley West - noted Texas oilman, rancher, and philanthropist *Lynn Wyatt - Houston Socialite and philanthropist *Hazel Hainsworth Young - Houston educator

References

* Michaelides, Laura.
Riverside Terrace
" ''Houston House and Home''. August 2002. p. 72-74.

Reference notes

External links

Riverside Terrace Community

Parkwood Drive Civic Club
{{coord, 29.717, -95.366, region:US-TX, display=title Third Ward, Houston Neighborhoods in Houston