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Tanglewood is an affluent neighborhood in western
Houston, Texas 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 ...
,Tutt, Bob.
Developer, nature lovers strike harmonious chord
" ''
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''. ...
''. Monday July 21, 1997. A11. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
located off San Felipe Road.Feser, Katherine.
Tanglewood's tale had a slow start
" ''
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''. ...
''. Sunday October 2, 1994. Business 6. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
Tanglewood is located just outside the 610 Loop and inside
Beltway 8 Beltway 8 (BW8), the Sam Houston Parkway, along with the Sam Houston Tollway, is an beltway around the city of Houston, Texas, United States, lying entirely within Harris County, Texas, Harris County. Beltway 8, a state highway mai ...
in the
Uptown Houston Uptown (more commonly called The Galleria Area) is a business district in Houston, located west of Downtown Houston, Downtown and is centered along Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road (Farm to Market Road 1093). The Uptown District is rou ...
area. Tanglewood was developed by the Tanglewood Corporation. Today the neighborhood is managed by the Tanglewood Homes Association. In 1997 Bob Tutt 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''. ...
'' said that Tanglewood is "a leafy, upscale subdivision". Barbara and
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
were longtime Tanglewood residents.


History

William Giddings Farrington developed Tanglewood beginning in the 1930s. Tanglewood opened in 1949.Feser, Katherine.
Bigger houses transforming neighborhood
" ''
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''. ...
''. ''
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''. ...
''. Sunday March 30, 2003. Business 8. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
The Farrington family took the name Tanglewood from " Tanglewood Tales" by
Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...
. The book was a favorite of Farrington's daughter, Mary Catherine Farrington. For the first six months, no houses were sold in Tanglewood. Mary Catherine, who later took the
family name In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
Miller, said that the lack of sales caused stress for the family. After several heavy rainstorms resulted in floods that affected other areas in Harris County, potential buyers began inquiring about buying houses in Tanglewood because they heard that the neighborhood had high water drainage capabilities.


Geography

Tanglewood is within a several minute driving distance of
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 ...
.Hickey, Elisabeth.
Bushes' lot: No room for real estate
" ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
''. Thursday November 19, 1992. Part E Life E1. Accessed on
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.
The area has around 5,000 trees. Before the subdivision was developed, Tanglewood was a coastal prairie that experienced regular grass fires, preventing the growth of trees. After Tanglewood was built, wildfires were suppressed. As of 1997, developers building area real estate projects negotiated with area tree preservationists to keep as many trees in their developments as possible. Tanglewood Boulevard is lined with
live oak Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are generally not more closely related to each other than they are to o ...
trees that had been planted by th
Tanglewood Garden Club
Tanglewood Boulevard had various benches that allow people along the path to relax, and it serves as a gathering point for residents. The boulevard also includes a bike path and walking trails. 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 ...
'' said that the benches, bike path, and walking trails were " anks to the Tanglewood Foundation and the generosity of residents".Houston's neighborhood parks offer change of pace in the city
" ''
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 ...
''. Sunday October 26, 2003. Retrieved October 13, 2012.


Cityscape

In 1992 John Daugherty, a real estate agent, said that Tanglewood is "a very low-key, unassuming neighborhood. A lot of CEOs and top management officials would live there." Tanglewood lots were large, and had many oak trees. As of 2003, larger Tanglewood lots each were large, while smaller ones are about by . As of that year Tanglewood lots had prices of $34 to $35 ($- in today's money) per square foot. In 2003 River Oaks lots were priced $65–$70 ($-$ in today's money) per square foot and West University Place lots were priced around $50 ($ in today's money) per square foot. Ellis said "The lots in Tanglewood are so much larger than the norm in West University or some of the sections of River Oaks. You can just get so much more for your money."


Houses

As of 2003 Tanglewood has 1,144 houses. The median house value was $632,750 ($ in current money), and the total median price per square foot was $194.15 ($ in current money). The median build year was 1960. On average houses had four bedrooms and 4.2 bathrooms. The median lot size was and the median house size was . Donna Ellis, an employee of Greenwood King Properties, said in 2003 that the prices of houses in Tanglewood ranged from $300,000 ($ in current money) to $3 million ($ in current money). As of 2003 the majority of houses are newer houses built beginning in the 1980s. In 1992 the Tanglewood area had around 1,800 houses, including Rambling Ranches and some Tudor houses. In November 1992, 172 properties were for sale, and selling prices ranged from $400,000 ($ in today's money) to over $1 million ($ in today's money). Claudia Feldman 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''. ...
'' said that by that year, " ices in Tanglewood have zoomed heavenward" and that many people had begun tearing down older houses.Feldman, Claudia.
Moving back to the 'hood . . ./CITIZEN BUSH
" ''
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''. ...
''. Sunday December 13, 1992. Lifestyle p. 1. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
She said that of the newer houses, " me of the multistory structures going up seem to take up every inch of the enormous lots." As of December 1992 a house that was intended to be demolished so a new house could go up in its place, or a "tear-down," was priced at $350,000 ($ in current money). As of 1994 most of the Tanglewood houses were still the older " rambling Ranch" houses, though larger numbers of newer houses were built. During that year Tanglewood had 1,157 houses. The median house value was $403,200 ($ in current money), and the total median price per square foot was $131.31 ($ in current money). The median build year was 1959. On average houses had 3.6 bedrooms and 3.4 bathrooms. The median lot size was and the median house size was .


=Housing styles

= Its original homes were " rambling Ranch" houses, spread-out one story houses placed on large lots. The houses were outfitted with central air conditioning. Tanglewood's first houses each had a price tag of around $25,000 ($ in current money); the houses were four times as expensive as the houses in Farrington's Southdale area in Bellaire. In 2003 the remaining original houses had been outfitted with expensive finishes. In 1994 an older house with no improvements was priced at around $350,000 ($ in current money). Newer houses began replacing older houses in the 1980s, and as of 2003 newer houses make up a majority of the housing stock. Newer houses included two-story English-style brick and stone houses and Mediterranean stucco-style houses with clay roofs. Many newer houses have ceilings, three car garages, and wine cellars. Katherine Feser 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''. ...
'' said that Tanglewood lots were "well-suited" for the newer types of houses that had been built. In 1994 there was one popular house style influenced by the Italian designer
Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( , ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be on ...
, which featured stucco, symmetrical design, tile roofs, and arched windows. During that year most newer houses had prices beginning at $800000 ($ in current money). Mary Catherine Miller, the daughter of Farrington, said that Tanglewood "offers all of the amenities of a well-planned community and it has really stood the test of time. This is obvious with the new homes that are being built."


Government

The community used strict deed restrictions to prevent businesses from establishing themselves within the neighborhood; the City of Houston has no zoning. In 1992 Cynthia Mayer of the ''
Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' said that Tanglewood, along with
Memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
and River Oaks, was one of three of "Houston's richest, most Republican neighborhoods".Mayer, Cynthia. "In Houston, Where Bush Still Drops In." ''
Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
''. August 18, 1992
2
Retrieved October 13, 2012.
In 1992 ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'' said "An upper-class, Houston Country Club-area neighborhood of 1200 homes, Tanglewood is the kind of place that has one to three off-duty Houston police officers .. Tanglewood is in Texas's 7th congressional district. Houston Fire Department operates Station 2 at 5880 Woodway at Chimney Rock, across from Tanglewood Park. The neighborhood is served by the Houston Police Department Midwest Patrol Division. The neighborhood is also served by the Tanglewood Patrol. The patrol hires off-duty Houston Police officers, who drive marked Tanglewood Patrol cars and have full police powers. The Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated the Valbona Health Center (formerly the People's Health Center) for the ZIP code 77056. The designated public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in 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 ...
.


Culture

Claudia Feldman 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''. ...
'' said that, in the 1960s, Tanglewood was "a white-bread community, devoid of the color and international cultural mix for which Houston was about to become famous" that had a "clubby atmosphere". Feldman explained that "Tanglewoodies seemed to patronize the same grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store and cleaners. They aspired to the same country club, supported the same conservative politicians, and attended a short list of predominantly white, politically correct churches." Feldman added that "irreverent, have-not types occasionally accused Tanglewoodies of being bland and boring" and characterized the houses as "overgrown tract houses."


Education


Public schools

Tanglewood's public schools are operated by 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 VII, represented by Harvin C. Moore as of 2008. Tanglewood is zoned to Briargrove Elementary School (in Briargrove) and Tanglewood Middle School (formerl
Grady Middle School
The land that Tanglewood Middle School sits on was donated by a Tanglewood developer. High school students are zoned to
Margaret Long Wisdom High School Margaret Long Wisdom High School, formerly Robert E. Lee High School, is a publicly funded secondary school located in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States 77057. The Houston Independent School District, the 7th largest school district in the ...
(formerly Robert E. Lee High School) and may choose to attend Lamar High School or Westside High Schools.Home Page
as of May 9, 2005. ''Lee High School''.
Even though several wealthier neighborhoods such as Tanglewood and Briargrove are primarily zoned to Wisdom, parents there prefer to send their children to Lamar, Westside, private high schools, or charter high schools. Residents of the Briargrove Elementary School attendance zone may apply for th
Briarmeadow Charter School
The HISD board voted to rename Grady to Tanglewood in 2016. Mark White Elementary School is scheduled to open in August 2016. Residents of the Briargrove Elementary zone, along with those of the Pilgrim, Piney Point, and Emerson zones, will be allowed to apply to this school. The T.H. Rogers School, an alternative K-8 school for gifted and talented students, deaf students, and multiply impaired students, is nearby Tanglewood. In 1982 T. H. Rogers, which previously served as a neighborhood middle school, was converted into a magnet school due to low enrollment. Uptown residents were rezoned to Revere Middle School, but complaints from neighborhood parents that stated that Revere was too far resulted in the re-opening of Grady as a middle school in 1992.


Private schools

St. Michael School
a
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 ...
K-8 school that is a part of the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
, is in the area. Al-Hadi School of Accelerative Learning, a private K-12
Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
school, is in the area. Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Saint Agnes Academy are in the Sharpstown area, southwest of Tanglewood. Saint Thomas High School is east of Tanglewood, a lot closer than Strake Jesuit. Other nearby private schools include St. John's School in the Upper Kirby district of Houston, The Kinkaid School in Piney Point Village and Awty International School in Spring Branch.


Public libraries

The closest library branch is the Jungman Library of 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 ...
.


Media

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''. ...
'' is the area regional newspaper. The '' Memorial Examiner'' is a local newspaper distributed in the community. ''The Tanglewood and River Oaks Buzz,'' one of four magazines produced by The Buzz Magazines, is a monthly publication about people, products and services in the community. It is mailed free of charge to all residents the first week of each month.


Parks and recreation

The city of Houston operates the Tanglewood Park at 5801 Woodway. Around 2003 several city-financed improvements were being added to Tanglewood Park. During that year, children from Tanglewood had engaged in a coin collecting drive so that a playground could be added. The closest
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
is the Post Oak YMCA.


Notable residents

*
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
and Barbara Bush * Billy Gibbons *
Joel Osteen Joel Scott Osteen ( ; born March 5, 1963) is an American pastor, televangelist, businessman, and author based in Houston, Texas, United States. Known for his weekly televised services and several best-selling books, Osteen is one of the more ...
- In 2005 his house was appraised at $2.3 million. A spokesperson for
Lakewood Church Lakewood Church is a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is among the largest congregations in the United States, averaging about 45,000 attendees per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church building, ...
said that Osteen had purchased the house for $380,000 and that it had later been remodeled. * Matt Schaub *
James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is regarded by some as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA hist ...


George H. W. Bush in Tanglewood

Former
U.S. president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
George H. W. and first Lady Barbara Bush lived in the Tanglewood area for a long period of time. All three of the houses they owned in Houston were in the Tanglewood area, and Bush began his political career there. Susan Warren 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''. ...
'' said that the Bush family had established "deep roots" in Tanglewood.Warren, Susan.
Convention '92/More than just home suite home/Bushes' residential roots here started with houses, not hotels
." ''
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''. ...
''. Sunday August 16, 1992. Special p. 8. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
Bush moved into a house on Indian Trail in the 1960s. As residents of Tanglewood, the Bushes sent their children to The Kinkaid School. The family frequently shopped at the Rice Food Market, now known as the Rice Epicurean Market, and at Patterson Hardware & Garden Supply and Miller's Laundry & Cleaners. At the nearby Houston Country Club, George H. W. Bush played golf and tennis. He represented the community as a U.S. Congressman. As a Tanglewood resident, Bush liked to eat at Molina's, Otto's Barbecue, Hunan, and Ninfa's on Navigation. Bush later moved out of Houston, sold his Indian Trail house, and lived in Washington as he got involved in his political career. Bush continued to own a different house in Tanglewood, which had five bedrooms.And you thought the President lived in the White House?
'' New York Times News Service'' at the ''
Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issu ...
''. Sunday August 16, 1992. Section A, Page 4. Retrieved from
Google News Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web. Google ...
(3 of 70) on October 14, 2012.
In 1981 Bush became
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
and sold his Tanglewood house, making a $596,101 profit. This started a dispute with the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
. While away from Houston, Bush's legal residence was The Houstonian Hotel, in the Tanglewood area.Hickey, Elisabeth.
Tour bashes Bush's little plot on the prairie
" ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
''. Monday August 17, 1992. Part A Nation A3. Available on
LexisNexis LexisNexis is an American data analytics company headquartered in New York, New York. Its products are various databases that are accessed through online portals, including portals for computer-assisted legal research (CALR), newspaper searc ...
.
To resolve the IRS dispute, in April 1985 Bush signed an affidavit that served as an agreement for him to build his retirement home on a lot in West Oaks, outside of the Tanglewood subdivision limits, but within the Tanglewood area. The Bushes, after leaving
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, temporarily began leasing a house formerly belonging to a family friend.From White House to 'regular house'
" ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
'' at the '' Ocala Star-Banner''. Saturday November 21, 1992. 2A. Retrieved from
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(2 of 84) on October 14, 2012.
In December 1992 the Bush family announced that it was building a new house on the lot.Bushes will rent while building home in Houston
" ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
'' at the '' Victoria Advocate''. Saturday November 21, 1992. 9A. Retrieved from
Google News Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web. Google ...
(5 of 21) on October 15, 2012.
The Bushes, as of 1994, lived in the West Oaks house. As of 1992 Bush still attended church at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, in the Tanglewood area.


See also

* Briargrove, Houston * St. George Place, Houston (Lamar Terrace)


References


External links


Tanglewood Homes Association


{{Authority control Neighborhoods in Houston George H. W. Bush