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Third Ward is an area of
71
Soon after the 1836 establishment of Houston, the City Council established four wards as political subdivisions of the city. The original Third Ward district extended south of Congress Street and east of Main Street and ended at the north shore of the Brays Bayou; what was then the district includes what is today portions of
72
In the 1800s much of what was Third Ward, the present-day east side of 
Historically, Whites lived in the southern part of Third Ward, while African Americans were economically segregated and lived north of Truxillo Street. By the 1930s the White and Black populations of Third Ward were about even. After
73
In the post-World War II period a large number of black migrants, many of them from Louisiana and some from East Texas and other areas in the Deep South, settled in Third Ward. The community became characterized by poverty since many of these migrants were unable to get non-menial jobs. In the era of racial segregation, Almeda Road, a road located in Third Ward area that at that time served as a corridor to
1
Retrieved on April 13, 2009. The construction of
''
From the 1980 U.S. Census to the 1990 Census, many African Americans left traditional
Move afoot to train Houstonians to erase `ward' from vocabularies
" ''
." ''City Savvy Online'' (City of Houston). (northern hemisphere) Winter 2008. Retrieved on October 20, 2011. Williams hoped that fellow Houstonians would also stop referring to sections of the city as "wards." Kim Cobb of the ''Houston Chronicle'' explained that "She's particularly concerned about the Riverside-MacGregor area near the Medical Center that her group represents. She thinks the term "Third Ward" implies an economic division that will get in the way of the benefits that will come to the rest of the city from the opening of the George Brown Convention Center." Betty Chapman, a historian, said in 2007 "The wards haven’t had any real meaning since 1905. But people are very interested in them. They’re an important part of our history." In 1998, a report by Third Ward Redevelopment Council concluded that the area had 55,000 residents. In addition, the report concluded that area shoppers and residents spend $345 million outside of the Third Ward per year; the residents and shoppers spend the money in other areas such as
Third Ward is an area of 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 ...
, United States, that evolved from one of the six historic wards of the same name. It is located in the southeast Houston management district.
Third Ward, located inside the 610 Loop is immediately southeast 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 ...
and to the east 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 ...
. The ward became the center of Houston's 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. ...
community. Third Ward is nicknamed "The Tre".
Robert D. Bullard, a sociologist teaching at 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 ...
, stated that Third Ward is "the city's most diverse black neighborhood and a microcosm of the larger black Houston community."Wood, Roger. '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'' (Issue 8 of Jack and Doris Smothers series in Texas history, life, and culture). 2003, University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...
. 1st Edition. , 978029278663971
History
Soon after the 1836 establishment of Houston, the City Council established four wards as political subdivisions of the city. The original Third Ward district extended south of Congress Street and east of Main Street and ended at the north shore of the Brays Bayou; what was then the district includes what is today portions 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 ...
and Midtown Houston in addition to residential African-American area currently identified as Third Ward, which is located southeast 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 ...
. As of 2003 the usage of the land within the boundaries of the historic Third Ward is more diverse than the land usage in the current Third Ward.Wood, Roger. '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'' (Issue 8 of Jack and Doris Smothers series in Texas history, life, and culture). 2003, University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...
. 1st Edition. , 978029278663972
In the 1800s much of what was Third Ward, the present-day east side 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 ...
, was what Stephen Fox, an architectural historian who lectured at 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 ...
, referred to as "the elite neighborhood of late 19th-century Houston." Ralph Bivins 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 Fox said that area was "a silk-stocking neighborhood of Victorian-era homes." Bivins said that the construction of Union Station, which occurred around 1910, caused the "residential character" of the area to "deteriorate." Hotels opened in the area to service travelers. Afterwards, according to Bivins, the area "began a long downward slide toward the skid row of the 1990s" and the hotels were changed into flophouses. Passenger trains stopped going to Union Station. The City of Houston abolished the ward system in the early 1900s, but the name "Third Ward" was continued to be used to refer to the territory that it used to cover.
Historically, Whites lived in the southern part of Third Ward, while African Americans were economically segregated and lived north of Truxillo Street. By the 1930s the White and Black populations of Third Ward were about even. After World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
White residents and the Temple Beth Israel moved from Third Ward to newly developed suburbs on the southwest side, and Third Ward became mostly African-American.Wood, Roger. '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'' (Issue 8 of Jack and Doris Smothers series in Texas history, life, and culture). 2003, University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...
. 1st Edition. , 978029278663973
In the post-World War II period a large number of black migrants, many of them from Louisiana and some from East Texas and other areas in the Deep South, settled in Third Ward. The community became characterized by poverty since many of these migrants were unable to get non-menial jobs. In the era of racial segregation, Almeda Road, a road located in Third Ward area that at that time served as a corridor to
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 ...
, was a busy commercial corridor.Duggins, Kamilah. "Third-Ward Rebound." ''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 ...
''. November 16, 20001
Retrieved on April 13, 2009. The construction 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, ...
in the 1950s separated portions of the historic Third Ward from the rest of Third Ward and brought those portions into Downtown.
The People's Party II, a community activist organization that eventually became the Houston Chapter of the Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...
was originally led by Carl Hampton - a charismatic speaker who organized the PPII at 2800 Dowling Street in the spring of 1970 to address police brutality and corruption towards Black and Brown people in the community. Hampton died after being shot without provocation by police from a top of a church on July 26, 1970.Parting shots Political activists recall the shooting death of a Black Panther leader by Houston police and the turmoil preceding it.''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company.
History
In May 1905, Amon G. Car ...
''. December 26, 1999. 4 METRO. Retrieved on April 4, 2009. J. R. Gonzales of the ''Houston Chronicle'' stated that there were disputes between southern whites and blacks regarding the nature of Hampton's death. Carl Hampton's contribution to Third Ward Community was the Rainbow Coalition that included The MAYO group - a Mexican community activist group - and The John Brown Revolutionary League, a group of white community activists. These groups worked together to bring about positive changes in their working class communities by supporting each other's "survival" programs. Programs included free childcare, free food giveaway, free fumigation for poor people, assisting the elderly in the community and free sickle cell anemia testing. Charles Boko Freeman became the PPII/local Black Panther Party Chairman. Party activity continued until membership dropped in late 1974 and early 1975 due to constant police repression.
In the 1960s and 1970s many families in Third Ward relocated to racially integrated suburbs; racial integration allowed many Blacks to move to the suburbs, therefore Third Ward lost some of its population with decades of neglect and economic traffic. Despite the relocations the Almeda Road commercial corridor remained busy. Kent Hadnot, the executive director of Third Ward Redevelopment Council, said in a 2000 ''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 ...
'' article that blockbusting
Blockbusting was a business practice in the United States in which real estate agents and building developers convinced residents in a particular area to sell their property at below-market prices. This was achieved by fearmongering the homeowne ...
beginning in the 1970s began to drive homeowners and business owners away from the Third Ward and into suburbs such as Missouri City. The construction of 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 ...
, which offered a quicker alternative into Downtown, caused Almeda Road's commercial properties to decline. In addition 288's construction had divided existing parts of Third Ward. Many children of Third Ward area business owners, educated in universities, had no desire to work in their parents' businesses, reducing the employee base of the Third Ward businesses. The 1980s oil bust hurt the economy of Third Ward and the nearby Almeda Road commercial corridor.
From the 1980 U.S. Census to the 1990 Census, many African Americans left traditional 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 ...
s such as Third Ward and went into areas in Southwest Houston
Southwest Houston is a region in Houston, Texas, Houston, Texas, United States. The area is considered to be from Texas State Highway 6, south of Westpark Tollway to north of U.S. Route 90.
Many Section 8 (housing) complexes are located in South ...
.
In 1987 Dr. Joyce Williams, the chairperson of the Southeast Area Council, an organization within the Mayor's Citizens Assistance Council, said that her group stopped referring to the area as "Third Ward." The practice became official on Wednesday June 3, 1987. The group itself was formerly named Third Ward Area Council.Cobb, Kim.Move afoot to train Houstonians to erase `ward' from vocabularies
" ''
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''. ...
''. Saturday June 6, 1987. Section 1, Page 27. Retrieved on October 20, 2011. Williams said "The city has become a cosmopolitan city. The term 'ward' is stagnant, unsophisticated, and places areas in isolation."Looking back wards." ''City Savvy Online'' (City of Houston). (northern hemisphere) Winter 2008. Retrieved on October 20, 2011. Williams hoped that fellow Houstonians would also stop referring to sections of the city as "wards." Kim Cobb of the ''Houston Chronicle'' explained that "She's particularly concerned about the Riverside-MacGregor area near the Medical Center that her group represents. She thinks the term "Third Ward" implies an economic division that will get in the way of the benefits that will come to the rest of the city from the opening of the George Brown Convention Center." Betty Chapman, a historian, said in 2007 "The wards haven’t had any real meaning since 1905. But people are very interested in them. They’re an important part of our history." In 1998, a report by Third Ward Redevelopment Council concluded that the area had 55,000 residents. In addition, the report concluded that area shoppers and residents spend $345 million outside of the Third Ward per year; the residents and shoppers spend the money in other areas such as
The Galleria
The Galleria, stylized theGalleria and also known as the Houston Galleria, is an upscale mixed-use urban development and shopping mall located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas, United States.Meyerland, Pearland, Rice Village, and Sharpstown. By 2000 younger business owners began to increase activity in the Almeda Road corridor. Old Spanish Trail/Almeda TIRZ funded area businesses with collected property taxes and offered incentives to prospective business owners. The redevelopment council offered prospective entrepreneurs lists of contacts and other forms of assistance. Between 1990 and 2000 the 
Around 1996 many artists began moving into Third Ward.Buntin, John.
Land Rush
" '' Governing''. March 2006. Retrieved on July 3, 2011. In 2011 Danyahel Norris, a Third Ward resident and a legal research instructor and attorney at
3
. Retrieved on July 10, 2011. Some activists in Third Ward area created campaigns encouraging area residents to not sell their homes to new residents to avoid
After years in the suburbs, many blacks return to city life
" ''
2
Retrieved on April 2, 2014. "All but two of the Yates players grew up in the Third Ward." By 2016 the western Third Ward was undergoing new development, influenced by Midtown to the west, while many demolitions occurred in the northeast Third Ward. In a ten-year period ending in 2016 the rate of construction was lower than the Harris County average while the rate of demolition in the Third Ward was higher than the county average.Binkovitz, Leah.
The Third Ward's fight to manage gentrification
" ''
Third Ward is immediately north of North MacGregor Boulevard and South MacGregor Boulevard. The area is northeast of the Texas Medical Center,
1
Retrieved on April 13, 2009. It is in close proximity to
Pride lives on in city's six historical wards
" ''
1
Retrieved on March 27, 2013. In the era of
In 1995 T. R. Witcher of the ''Houston Press'' reported that the Third Ward, as defined by Third Ward Redevelopment Council, "may be the most variegated community in Houston." Witcher described the area west of Texas Southern University, "the heart of the Third Ward," as having "blocks of sturdy, well-tended brick houses," and being the "home" to the "diminished but still-viable base of middle-class and working-class homeowners and renters" of the area. The brick houses, south of Truxillo are larger and, in the words of Roger Wood, author of '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'', "nicer" than the housing stock north of Truxillo. Throughout the history of Third Ward, African Americans gradually occupied the brick houses. As of 2003 the brick houses are in varying conditions; Woods said that some are "beautifully renovated," some are "respectfully maintained," and some are "severely neglected."
Witcher described the northern part of Third Ward, which in his view "more than any other in Third Ward, call to mind the word "
UH exhibit focuses on Third Ward history, people
" ''
" ''City of Houston''. Accessed October 28, 2008. serves the neighborhood. HPD opened the South Central Police Station in 1986 when the Central Police Station, 61 Riesner, split and the 3rd Ward, the East End and the Medical Center became 10 District. 3rd Ward, had one of the highest crime and homicide rates in the City and the South Central Police Station was Chief Browns attempt to include the citizens in his "NOP" or Neighborhood Oriented Policing. Fire and emergency medical services are provided by
The city operates the Third Ward Multi-Service Center at 3611 Ennis Street. The city multi-service centers provide several services such as child care, programs for elderly residents, and rental space.
Third Ward is
" Houston Housing Authority. Retrieved on October 16, 2011. "3260 Truxillo Houston, Texas 77004" It is named after Norris Wright Cuney, a Texas politician who assisted African-Americans during the
Riverside Civic Association
serves the neighboring Riverside Terrace area.
Crime in Third Ward has been on a steady decline since 2006 and as of 2014. According to Houston Police Department's Uniform Crime Summary, there were approximately 1,428 total violent and non-violent crimes in 2006 in the Third Ward area patrolled by police beat 10H50. In 2013, there were approximately 991 violent and non-violent crimes in the area. In other words, there were 437 fewer crimes in 2013 than in 2006.
Some of the drops in crime rate may be related to the fact that the City of Houston, the University of Houston, and other private companies are cleaning up the area through construction. A prime example of this is the Campus Vue apartment complex off North MacGregor Way and Calhoun Road. Other companies like Fountain Residential Partners an
Asset Campus Housing
who have decided to build off-campus boutique dorms in the area, are receiving tax abatement and government support for building in a high poverty area. “We continually evaluate the types of crime that are affecting our community and adjust our patrol and investigation methods to address those issues,” said Bret Collier, UHPD lieutenant and chief of staff.
Heart of Third Ward: Texas Southern University
Archive
. '' Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston''. Rice Design Alliance, Fall 1996. Volume 35. p.20. In addition, the
Houston's really good idea Bus tour celebrates communities that forged a city.
''
Area students attend schools in the
." ''City of Houston''. April 2005. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.Third Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan
." ''City of Houston''. April 2005. Retrieved on April 13, 2009. Elementary schools serving sections of the Third Ward include Blackshear, located in Third Ward; and Lockhart in Riverside Terrace.AGENDA Board of Education Meeting March 13, 2014
"
Riverside Terrace bucks housing slowdown
" ''
AGENDA Board of Education Meeting March 07, 2013
"
"
Allan Turner of the ''Houston Chronicle'' said that the building now belonging to Ryan Middle School and formerly housing Yates High School served as an "educational anchor" for the Third Ward as many professionals in the Third Ward community such as educators, ministers, and lawyers received education in it.
Allen Elementary School opened as an elementary school for
" ''J. Will Jones Elementary School''. September 15, 2004. Retrieved on April 5, 2009. Longfellow Junior High School, located at 2202 St. Emanuel Street, opened in 1913. Blackshear Elementary School opened in 1916. Bowie Elementary School opened in 1921. Johnston Middle School opened in 1925. Douglass opened in 1927. Bowie was renamed to Dodson Elementary School in 1945; for a period it was the second-largest Black elementary school in the Third Ward area.School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names
." ''
"
Archive
Due to a decline in enrollment,Radcliffe, Jennifer.
HISD has buyer for historic campus
" ''
Schools Welcome Katrina Students
" ''
." ''
HISD votes to close Dodson, repurpose Jones
" ''
KIPP Liberation College Preparatory School
a middle school
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Houston operates area
" ''St. Mary of the Purification School''. Retrieved on April 14, 2009. 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
Audio file
/ref> Prior to 2009 St. Peter was a middle school with grades 6-8; that year St. Philip Neri School in the Sunnyside area merged into St. Peter, making it PK-8. 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
File:BlackshearESHoustonTX.JPG, Blackshear Elementary School
File:TSUHISDLabSchoolHoustonTX.JPG,
The Third Ward is served by the
" Harris County Hospital District. Retrieved on February 9, 2012. At one point, the MLK health center was located on the first and third floors of Quentin Mease.Martin Luther King Health Center
" '' Harris County Hospital District''. Accessed October 28, 2008. MLK's standalone facility on Cullen Boulevard was scheduled to open in 2009 and free space at Quentin Mease. On May 14, 2010, MLK relocated to a site in southern Houston, on Swingle Road. The designated public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the
The Trinity United Methodist Church, which began in 1848, is the oldest African-American church congregation in the City of Houston. Trinity does not occupy the oldest church building.
Project Row Houses (PRH) is a community-based arts and culture non-profit organization in Houston's northern Third Ward, one of the city's oldest African-American neighborhoods. It was founded in 1993 by artist and community activist Rick Lowe, along with James Bettison (1991), Bert Long, Jr. (1940-2013), Jesse Lott, Floyd Newsum, Bert Samples, and George Smith, all seeking to establish a positive, creative and transformative presence in this historic community. Inspired by both the American artist Dr. John T. Biggers (1924-2001) and the German artist Josef Beuys (1921-1986), PRH is a unique experiment in activating the intersections between art, historic preservation, affordable and innovative housing, community relations and development, neighborhood revitalization, and human empowerment.
Katharine Shilcutt of the ''Houston Press'' said that the Third Ward includes "a diverse mix of restaurants to suit every taste". Among these are
Frenchy's founder Percy Creuzot dies at 86
(Obituary). ''
''Houston Chronicle'' columnist Joy Sewing wrote in 2020 that "The 'Tre, as we natives say, is a predominately Black neighborhood just south of downtown and east of the Museum District. Despite the stereotypes that often come with inner-city Black neighborhoods, Third Ward is also home to some of the city's most noted and greatest African-American artists, activists, educators and leaders."
The
Houston Texans YMCA opens in Third Ward
"
Third Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan
- April 2005, City of Houston
Third Ward
at Texas Southern University
Historic Third Ward Strategic Implementation Framework
– City of Houston et al – Final Report April 2019
Third Ward Community Cloth Cooperative
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Third, Houston Neighborhoods in Houston Skid rows
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
population of Third Ward increased by between 5 and 10 percent as Hispanics in the Houston area moved into majority black neighborhoods. In the same period the black population of the area declined by 1,272 as majority African-American neighborhoods in Houston had declines in their black populations. In 2002 the City of Houston planned to build its Olympic village in Third Ward if its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
was successful; many Third Ward residents and activists stated that they needed to receive some form of economic benefit from the proposed facilities. Houston's bid was rejected later that year.
Around 1996 many artists began moving into Third Ward.Buntin, John.Land Rush
" '' Governing''. March 2006. Retrieved on July 3, 2011. In 2011 Danyahel Norris, a Third Ward resident and a legal research instructor and attorney at
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 ...
, said that he observed the first sign of gentrification in Third Ward in 2000, when a crack house
A drug house is a residence used in the illegal drug trade. Drug houses shelter drug users and provide a place for drug dealers to supply them. Drug houses can also be used as laboratories to synthesize (cook) drugs, or cache ingredients and p ...
was converted into a high-end residence.Oaklander, Mandy. "Our HAUS." ''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 ...
''. Wednesday July 6, 20113
. Retrieved on July 10, 2011. Some activists in Third Ward area created campaigns encouraging area residents to not sell their homes to new residents to avoid
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 ...
and re-development.Axtman, Kris.After years in the suburbs, many blacks return to city life
" ''
The Christian Science Monitor
''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles both in Electronic publishing, electronic format and a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 ...
''. April 29, 2004. Retrieved on May 1, 2009. By 2006 many townhouses appeared in the area across the freeway from the Third Ward, with childless couples, empty nesters, and yuppies occupying the movements. Garnet Coleman
Garnet Fredrick Coleman (born September 8, 1961) is an American politician. From 1991 to 2022, he was a member of the Texas legislature, Texas House of Representatives for the 147th district, located entirely within Houston and Harris County, Te ...
—a state representative from the area—expressed his opposition to gentrification and a desire to keep the original residents in the neighborhood. Coleman had some control over the Midtown Tax Increment Financing District, which bought land in Third Ward and enacted deeds restricting what may be done with the land, so that the land could indefinitely be used to house low income residents. In 2009, Coleman said "We learned a lot from the debacle in the Fourth Ward. So it would be stupid not to respond to the negative byproducts of rapid development. We want to find people who will make this community better by becoming part of its fabric, not by changing its fabric." In 2010 Norris published an article in the ''Thurgood Marshall Law Review
The Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) is the ABA-accredited law school of Texas Southern University, a historically Black public university in Houston, Texas. It awards Juris Doctor and Master of Law degrees. Thurgood Marshall School of ...
'' stating how existing Third Ward residents could continue to keep their properties, including enforcing deed restrictions; because the City of Houston does not have zoning, many Houston neighborhoods use deed restrictions to maintain their existing setups and atmospheres.
In 2010 Paul Knight of the ''Houston Press'' wrote that from 2000 to 2010, "while other areas of the inner city have redeveloped dramatically in the last decade," citing the changes in the Fourth Ward, "Third Ward has, except for a few pockets, remained unchanged."Knight, Paul. "Third Ward High." ''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 ...
''. Wednesday April 7, 2010. p2
Retrieved on April 2, 2014. "All but two of the Yates players grew up in the Third Ward." By 2016 the western Third Ward was undergoing new development, influenced by Midtown to the west, while many demolitions occurred in the northeast Third Ward. In a ten-year period ending in 2016 the rate of construction was lower than the Harris County average while the rate of demolition in the Third Ward was higher than the county average.Binkovitz, Leah.
The Third Ward's fight to manage gentrification
" ''
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''. ...
''. May 25, 2016. Retrieved on May 30, 2016.
By 2017, gentrification had become highly noticeable and more non-Black people had gradually moved into Greater Third Ward drawn by its proximity to popular destinations in Houston; the white population increased by 100% from 2007 to 2017, and the black population decreased by 10%. The dawn of a new decade in 2020 saw more changes as longtime residents pushed back against rising housing costs and gentrification efforts changing the face of iconic structures such as the historic Sears building to pave way for a $100M innovation called The Ion. By 2020, Third Ward's black population dropped to 45% from 71% in 2010, while the white population jumped 170% from 2010 to 2020. Also, Third Ward's median home price and average rent price jumped significantly from 2010 to 2020.
Layout
Third Ward is immediately north of North MacGregor Boulevard and South MacGregor Boulevard. The area is northeast of the Texas Medical Center, 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 the Houston Museum District, which are west of Texas State Highway 288.Witcher, T. R. "Third Ward Rising." ''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 ...
''. July 20, 19951
Retrieved on April 13, 2009. It is in close proximity to
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 ...
.
Boundaries
Roger Wood, author of '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'', said that "determining exactly where to draw" the boundaries of Third Ward "is not easily done" due to the variety of opinions about what Third Ward is. The Third Ward Redevelopment Council has a defined set of boundaries, with the Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad as the eastern boundary of Third Ward area. Joe "Guitar" Hughes, a local musician, stated that Third Ward's cultural southern boundary was Truxillo Street, regardless of any technical map divisions, due to the cultural division between the shotgun shack areas to the north and the houses to the south. According to Hughes, the eastern boundary is a low rent group of houses near Texas Southern University that he refers to as "Sugar Hill." Wood says that among area musicians, Third Ward's boundaries are usually thought of as extending southward from the junction ofInterstate 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) and Interstate 69
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and includ ...
/ U.S. Route 59 (Southwest Freeway) to the Brays Bayou, with Main Street forming the western boundary.
The definitions of Third Ward as of 2004 differ from the definition of the historical Third Ward political entity.Kever, Jeannie.Pride lives on in city's six historical wards
" ''
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''. ...
''. September 7, 2004. Retrieved on October 20, 2011. The political district had the following boundaries: Congress Street, Main Street, and the city limits to the east and south. Will Howard, an assistant manager of the Texas and local history department 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 ...
, said in 2004 "They are cultural entities today, not legal entities, and like any culture, they are almost obligated to change." Jeannie Kever of the ''Houston Chronicle'' said "That evolution allows people to designate the area around Texas Southern University Third Ward, for example, even though the city limits stopped far short of there in the early 1900s."
Katharine Shilcutt of the ''Houston Press'' said that Third Ward is southwest of Interstate 45, southeast of Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59/Texas State Highway 288, north of Blodgett and Wheeler, and west of Texas State Highway 5
State Highway 5 (SH 5) runs along the old route of U.S. Highway 75 at Howe into the city of Allen. SH 5 parallels US 75 along its length and runs alongside the former Houston and Texas Central rail line. SH 5 was created in 1959 when the ...
/Calhoun. Shilcutt said that in her article on the best restaurants on the Third Ward, due to historical reasons she adjusted the western boundary to Almeda Road and the southern boundary down to MacGregor Way.Shilcutt, Katharine. "Top 10 Restaurants in the Third Ward." ''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 ...
''. Tuesday February 26, 2013. p1
Retrieved on March 27, 2013. In the era of
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
segregation, Alabama Street was the dividing line between the black and white areas.
Composition
In 1995 T. R. Witcher of the ''Houston Press'' reported that the Third Ward, as defined by Third Ward Redevelopment Council, "may be the most variegated community in Houston." Witcher described the area west of Texas Southern University, "the heart of the Third Ward," as having "blocks of sturdy, well-tended brick houses," and being the "home" to the "diminished but still-viable base of middle-class and working-class homeowners and renters" of the area. The brick houses, south of Truxillo are larger and, in the words of Roger Wood, author of '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'', "nicer" than the housing stock north of Truxillo. Throughout the history of Third Ward, African Americans gradually occupied the brick houses. As of 2003 the brick houses are in varying conditions; Woods said that some are "beautifully renovated," some are "respectfully maintained," and some are "severely neglected."
Witcher described the northern part of Third Ward, which in his view "more than any other in Third Ward, call to mind the word "ghetto
A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...
," Houston-style," as having "rows of shotgun shacks, worn frame houses and fraying apartments" owned by absentee landlords. The section included crime, families affected by welfare dependency, unemployment, and proliferation of recreational drugs. In the summer residents of that area who wanted to cool down from the summer heat sat on porches and visited friends on the streets. The Third Ward area included many churches of varying sizes; some churches still attracted members who lived in Missouri City and other suburbs. The shotgun shacks, located north of Truxillo Street, are smaller and more cheaply built than the houses, and they have been historically occupied by working class African Americans. Some shotgun shacks have been continually occupied, and some shotgun shacks have been abandoned; some of the abandoned shotgun shacks have been boarded up.
Emancipation Avenue, renamed as such in 2017 and previously Dowling Street, has served as the main northeast to southeast artery of the Third Ward. The street intersects with Elgin, Holman, Southmore, and Wheeler. It was named after the Confederate soldier Dick Dowling. Roger Wood, author of '' Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues'', said that the street is widely viewed as the center of Houston's blues music
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
culture. Big Robert Smith, an area singer, called Dowling the "main street of black Houston." Witcher described the Dowling Street corridor, which once functioned as the main commercial area of Third Ward, as still having "many thriving enterprises" while its blocks have "an unsettling profusion of empty, overgrown lots and dilapidated structures."
As of 2004 Third Ward has the highest concentration of "you buy, we fry" fish restaurants in the City of Houston.
In 2013 Katharine Shilcutt of the ''Houston Press'' said that "Today, Third Ward possess a dynamic mix of old and new as the area slowly undergoes a slow gentrification process: beautiful brick homes abutting wonderfully divey restaurants like Chief Cajun Snack Shack, 80-year-old meat markets turned into vegan coffee shops, non-profit arts organizations such as Project Row Houses side-by-side with still-occupied row houses."
The Third Ward Redevelopment Council defines 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 ...
, the Museum District, and the TMC as being part of Third Ward. Witcher of the wrote in 1995 that these are "not the first places that come to mind when you say "Third Ward," ...
Demographics
Third Ward is a predominantly African-American community. As of 2011 over 13,000 people live in Third Ward.Turner, Allan.UH exhibit focuses on Third Ward history, people
" ''
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''. ...
''. March 23, 2011. Retrieved on March 24, 2011. As of 2019, the area has gentrified rapidly with a surge in population, racial diversity, and cost of living.
The City of Houston-defined Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood in 2015 had 14,295 residents. 67% were non-Hispanic black, 14% were Hispanics, 13% were non-Hispanic white, 5% were non-Hispanic Asians, and 1% was non-Hispanic other. In 2000 the super neighborhood had 15,463 residents. 79% were non-Hispanic black, 10% were Hispanic, 7% were non-Hispanic white, and 2% each were non-Hispanic Asians and others.
In 1870 29% of the African Americans in Houston lived in Third Ward. In 1910 the plurality now lived in Third Ward, with 32%.
Government and infrastructure
Local government
The Houston Police Department's South Central Patrol Division, headquartered at 2022 St. Emanuel in the Third Ward,VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support" ''City of Houston''. Accessed October 28, 2008. serves the neighborhood. HPD opened the South Central Police Station in 1986 when the Central Police Station, 61 Riesner, split and the 3rd Ward, the East End and the Medical Center became 10 District. 3rd Ward, had one of the highest crime and homicide rates in the City and the South Central Police Station was Chief Browns attempt to include the citizens in his "NOP" or Neighborhood Oriented Policing. Fire and emergency medical services are provided by
Houston Fire Department
City of Houston Fire Department (HFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States. HFD is responsible for preserving life a ...
Station 25 Third Ward. The station is in Fire District 8. The station opened at the intersection of Blodgett and Velasco in 1928 and opened in its current location at Rosewood at Scott in 1979.
The city operates the Third Ward Multi-Service Center at 3611 Ennis Street. The city multi-service centers provide several services such as child care, programs for elderly residents, and rental space.
Third Ward is 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 ...
part of council District D and, as of 2020, is represented by Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz. In the 2000s Third Ward was split between districts D and I. In the 1990s it was split between districts D, E, and I.
In the 1991 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 ...
election most Third Ward voters voted for Sylvester Turner. Turner had performed well in black neighborhoods throughout the city.
The Houston Housing Authority operates Cuney Homes, a public housing complex. Cuney is across from Texas Southern University. It first opened in 1938, and it was modernized in 1997.Cuney Homes" Houston Housing Authority. Retrieved on October 16, 2011. "3260 Truxillo Houston, Texas 77004" It is named after Norris Wright Cuney, a Texas politician who assisted African-Americans during the
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...
.
Third Ward is Home, University Village, and Washington Terrace civic clubs serve part of the community, along with Emancipation Park Community Association (EPCA).. AlsoRiverside Civic Association
serves the neighboring Riverside Terrace area.
County, state, and federal representation
Third Ward is in Texas's 18th congressional district. Its representative as of 2008 isSheila 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 ...
.
Crime
Crime in Third Ward has been on a steady decline since 2006 and as of 2014. According to Houston Police Department's Uniform Crime Summary, there were approximately 1,428 total violent and non-violent crimes in 2006 in the Third Ward area patrolled by police beat 10H50. In 2013, there were approximately 991 violent and non-violent crimes in the area. In other words, there were 437 fewer crimes in 2013 than in 2006.
Some of the drops in crime rate may be related to the fact that the City of Houston, the University of Houston, and other private companies are cleaning up the area through construction. A prime example of this is the Campus Vue apartment complex off North MacGregor Way and Calhoun Road. Other companies like Fountain Residential Partners anAsset Campus Housing
who have decided to build off-campus boutique dorms in the area, are receiving tax abatement and government support for building in a high poverty area. “We continually evaluate the types of crime that are affecting our community and adjust our patrol and investigation methods to address those issues,” said Bret Collier, UHPD lieutenant and chief of staff.
Education
Colleges and universities
The historic Third Ward area has the campus ofTexas 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 ...
. Waldivia Ardlaw of '' Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston'' wrote that the university serves as "the cultural and community center of" the Third Ward area where it is located, in addition to being its university.Wardlaw, Alvia.Heart of Third Ward: Texas Southern University
Archive
. '' Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston''. Rice Design Alliance, Fall 1996. Volume 35. p.20. In addition, the
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 ...
is located within proximity of the area which shares three main streets, namely Scott, the heart of Third Ward. The Redevelopment Council defines University of Houston as being part of the Third Ward.
The area previously housed the Houston Negro College of Nursing. The facility, as of 2003, now houses a charter school
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 ...
.Davis, Rod.Houston's really good idea Bus tour celebrates communities that forged a city.
''
San Antonio Express-News
The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 1865. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the sta ...
''. Sunday August 3, 2003. Travel 1M. Retrieved on February 11, 2012.
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Area students attend 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.Third Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan." ''City of Houston''. April 2005. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.Third Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan
." ''City of Houston''. April 2005. Retrieved on April 13, 2009. Elementary schools serving sections of the Third Ward include Blackshear, located in Third Ward; and Lockhart in Riverside Terrace.AGENDA Board of Education Meeting March 13, 2014
"
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 ...
. Retrieved on March 15, 2014. "Current Attendance Boundaries" New 03/06/04 Attachment F-March 2, 2014 p. 31/119. ''and'' "Proposed Attendance Boundaries" New 03/06/04 Attachment F-March 2, 2014 p. 32/119.
Wollam, Allison.Riverside Terrace bucks housing slowdown
" ''
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 ...
''. August 15, 2008. Retrieved on April 18, 2009. All area residents are zoned to Cullen Middle School and Yates High School."PROPOSED BOUNDARY FOR CULLEN MIDDLE SCHOOL."AGENDA Board of Education Meeting March 07, 2013
"
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 ...
. 30/105. Retrieved on June 30, 2013. The 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 ...
, a magnet school, is located in the former Ryan Middle School building. Beginning in 2018 the school also serves as a boundary option for students zoned to Blackshear, Lockhart, and MacGregor elementary schools. The current Energy Institute High School campus opened in the Third Ward in 2018.
The Texas Southern University/Houston Independent School District Charter Laboratory School is in Cuney Homes. The building housing Young Women's College Preparatory Academy (which formerly had the Contemporary Learning Center) is in the Third Ward area. DeBakey High School is also in the Third Ward area. Energy Institute High School is in the former Dodson Elementary School in East Downtown, which once served the Third Ward.Elementary Schools (A-J)"
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 ...
. Retrieved on June 15, 2016.
The William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity has a campus on Scott Street serving students from 6th to 8th grade at “The Lawson Academy”. The program has been led by Dr. Cheryl Lawson since 2006. The Lawson Academy is opening up an early childhood program at Regency Lofts serving 3 and 4 year olds starting fall of 2023.
=History of public schools
=
Allan Turner of the ''Houston Chronicle'' said that the building now belonging to Ryan Middle School and formerly housing Yates High School served as an "educational anchor" for the Third Ward as many professionals in the Third Ward community such as educators, ministers, and lawyers received education in it.
Allen Elementary School opened as an elementary school for White people
White is a Race (human categorization), racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry. It is also a Human skin color, skin color specifier, although the definition can var ...
on February 1, 1907; back then the schools were segregated.History" ''J. Will Jones Elementary School''. September 15, 2004. Retrieved on April 5, 2009. Longfellow Junior High School, located at 2202 St. Emanuel Street, opened in 1913. Blackshear Elementary School opened in 1916. Bowie Elementary School opened in 1921. Johnston Middle School opened in 1925. Douglass opened in 1927. Bowie was renamed to Dodson Elementary School in 1945; for a period it was the second-largest Black elementary school in the Third Ward area.School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names
." ''
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 ...
''. Retrieved on September 24, 2008.
In 1955 a new Allen elementary opened in another area not in proximity to the Third Ward. The former Allen campus became the Yates Annex, a school for Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
7th Graders meant to relieve Yates High School. In 1956 the campus was renamed J. Will Jones Elementary School, relieving Blackshear and Dunbar schools. In September 1959 the new Johnston opened in Meyerland and the old Johnston became Miller Junior High School. Blackshear received an expansion in 1960. In 1961 the Longfellow building began to house Dunbar Elementary School. Blackshear received expansions in 1965. In 1966 J. Will Jones received a 12 classroom annex. Contemporary Learning Center began in 1973 and moved into the former Miller building in 1976. Blackshear received an expansion in 1980. Dunbar closed in 1981. Kazi Shule, an HISD-affiliated charter school in the Third Ward serving grades 4-6, opened in 1996. The name in Swahili meant "The Working School".School Histories/Early Childhood Centers"
Archive
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 ...
. Retrieved on July 19, 2013.
Due to a decline in enrollment,Radcliffe, Jennifer.HISD has buyer for historic campus
" ''
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''. ...
''. Wednesday March 22, 2006. Retrieved on October 21, 2011. HISD closed Douglass Elementary School in May 2005.Pace, Gina.Schools Welcome Katrina Students
" ''
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...
''. September 16, 2005. Retrieved on April 4, 2009. In spring 2005 Douglass Elementary had 274 students and had faced a 26 percent decline in enrollment in a five-year period leading to 2005. After Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
struck in the fall of that year Douglass temporarily reopened to accommodate hurricane refugees. The HISD board voted 6-1 to lease Douglass to the KIPP
The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) is a network of tuition-free, open-enrollment college-preparatory public charter schools serving students in historically underserved communities across the United States. Founded in 1994 by Mike Feinber ...
program for one year, so the Katrina school could operate. KIPP opened NOW (New Orleans West) College Prep, a temporary K-8 school. In March 2006, HISD agreed to sell the Douglass Building to Yellowstone Academy. Yellowstone bid on the building for $1.9 million ($ when adjusted for inflation).
In May 2006 Kazi Shule closed. The TSU/HISD Lab School opened in fall 2006. Before the start of the 2009-2010 school year J. Will Jones Elementary School, which was located in Midtown Houston and served sections of the Third Ward, was consolidated into Blackshear. During its final year of enrollment J. Will Jones had more students than Blackshear. Many J. Will Jones parents referred to Blackshear as "that prison school" and said that they will not send their children to Blackshear. Jones will house Houston Community College classes after its closure as a school. Turner Elementary School, a school in Riverside Terrace which served a section of the Third Ward, closed in 2009 and consolidated into Lockhart; by Spring 2011 a new campus was scheduled to be built on the Lockhart site.Board Approves School Closings and Consolidations." ''
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 ...
''. November 14, 2008. In March 2013 the HISD board voted to close Ryan Middle School and move all students into the zone of Cullen Middle School.
In 2013 the new Lockhart campus was to only have the Lockhart name, without combining "Lockhart" and "Turner", resulting in protests. HISD dedicated the campus, scheduled to house about 750 students, on Thursday August 22, 2013. The funds to build the campus originate from the 2007 bond.
In 2014 the Dodson school had about 445 students.Mellon, Ericka.HISD votes to close Dodson, repurpose Jones
" ''
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''. ...
''. March 13, 2014. Updated March 14, 2014. Retrieved on March 15, 2014. That year, the HISD school board was to vote on whether to close Dodson Elementary. Terry Grier, the HISD superintendent, argued that Dodson needs to close so another school will be located there while its permanent facility is under construction. On Thursday March 13, 2014, the HISD board voted to close Dodson Elementary 5-4. The Montessori program will move to Blackshear Elementary. As part of rezoning for the 2014-2015 school year, all areas in the Third Ward previously under the Dodson zone were moved to the Blackshear zone.
Charter schools
The Lawson Academy, formerly WALIPP-TSU Preparatory Academy, is a charter middle school in Third Ward area. KIPP Houston Public Schools operates thKIPP Liberation College Preparatory School
a middle school
charter school
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 ...
, in the Third Ward. KIPP operates KIPP Sunnyside High School near Sunnyside; that school has some students from the Third Ward. KIPP PEACE Elementary School, a KIPP school near the Third Ward, opened in 2011.
Pro-Vision Academy was established as an HISD-affiliated charter school for boys in 1995, originally occupying a campus in the Third Ward. After 2008 it moved to a new campus in Sunnyside.
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. 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 five) and St. Peter the Apostle School, are in the area.About St. Mary's Montessori School" ''St. Mary of the Purification School''. Retrieved on April 14, 2009. 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 ...
.
St. Peter the Apostle, before its closure, was a PreK-8 school. Its peak enrollment was about 600 students in the 1960s. Audio file
/ref> Prior to 2009 St. Peter was a middle school with grades 6-8; that year St. Philip Neri School in the Sunnyside area merged into St. Peter, making it PK-8. 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 ...
.
Yellowstone Academy, a Christian private school, is in the Third Ward. Yellowstone opened in August 2002, but in 2006 it agreed to purchase Douglass Elementary School from 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 Wheeler Avenue Christian Academy is a private school for students in kindergarten to fifth grade. The school operates under Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church located on Scott Street.
Gallery of schools
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 ...
/Houston Independent School District Charter Laboratory School in Cuney Homes
Public libraries
The Third Ward 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.
Health care
The Quentin Mease Health Facility (formerly Quentin Mease Community Hospital), operated by Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District), is located in the Third Ward area. It was previously a long-term care hospital but as of 2021 is being transformed into an outpatient facility. The Martin Luther King Health Center, also of Harris Health System, first opened on April 28, 1972. Quentin Mease opened in 1983.A Proud History of Caring for More Than 45 Years" Harris County Hospital District. Retrieved on February 9, 2012. At one point, the MLK health center was located on the first and third floors of Quentin Mease.Martin Luther King Health Center
" '' Harris County Hospital District''. Accessed October 28, 2008. MLK's standalone facility on Cullen Boulevard was scheduled to open in 2009 and free space at Quentin Mease. On May 14, 2010, MLK relocated to a site in southern Houston, on Swingle Road. 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 ...
.
The southeast branch of the American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
serves the Third Ward.
In 2017 the 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 ...
HEALTH Research Institute received a $2 million grant for an anti-obesity and anti-diabetes program to be established in the Third Ward.
Transportation
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service (under the nam ...
(METRO) operates public transportation services, including buses and the METRORail
METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the List ...
tram service. METRORail Purple Line
The Purple Line is a METRORail light rail/streetcar route operated by METRO in Houston, Texas, United States, serving Southeast Houston. The line opened on May 23, 2015.
Route
The Purple Line begins at its northern terminus at Smith Street ...
stations serving Third Ward include:
* Leeland/Third Ward station (in the East Downtown)
* Elgin/Third Ward station
Elgin/Third Ward is a light rail station in Houston, Texas on the METRORail
METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the s ...
* TSU/UH Athletics District station
TSU/UH Athletics District is a light rail station in Houston, Texas on the METRORail system. It is served by the Purple Line and is located on Scott Street near Alabama Avenue. The station is named for the University of Houston, Texas Southern ...
* UH South/University Oaks station
Arts and culture
The Trinity United Methodist Church, which began in 1848, is the oldest African-American church congregation in the City of Houston. Trinity does not occupy the oldest church building.
Project Row Houses (PRH) is a community-based arts and culture non-profit organization in Houston's northern Third Ward, one of the city's oldest African-American neighborhoods. It was founded in 1993 by artist and community activist Rick Lowe, along with James Bettison (1991), Bert Long, Jr. (1940-2013), Jesse Lott, Floyd Newsum, Bert Samples, and George Smith, all seeking to establish a positive, creative and transformative presence in this historic community. Inspired by both the American artist Dr. John T. Biggers (1924-2001) and the German artist Josef Beuys (1921-1986), PRH is a unique experiment in activating the intersections between art, historic preservation, affordable and innovative housing, community relations and development, neighborhood revitalization, and human empowerment.
Katharine Shilcutt of the ''Houston Press'' said that the Third Ward includes "a diverse mix of restaurants to suit every taste". Among these are fried chicken
Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...
restaurants; The original Frenchy's Chicken and its satellite location are both located in the Third Ward.Turner, Allan.Frenchy's founder Percy Creuzot dies at 86
(Obituary). ''
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''. ...
''. June 7, 2010. Retrieved on April 21, 2014.
The University Museum at Texas Southern University (TSU) is one of a few museums in Texas that emphasizes celebrating art and artifacts by creators of the African Diaspora
The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from List of ethnic groups of Africa, people from Africa. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the native West Africa, West and Central Africans who were ...
. Renowned art historian and curator Dr. Alvia Wardlaw is the director of the museum.
The Community Artists' Collective is a nonprofit organization founded by Michelle Barnes and Dr. Sarah Trotty that has served Third Ward community for thirty years, providing educational programming and support for African-American artists since its conception in 1985.
''Houston Chronicle'' columnist Joy Sewing wrote in 2020 that "The 'Tre, as we natives say, is a predominately Black neighborhood just south of downtown and east of the Museum District. Despite the stereotypes that often come with inner-city Black neighborhoods, Third Ward is also home to some of the city's most noted and greatest African-American artists, activists, educators and leaders."
The Blaffer Art Museum
Blaffer Art Museum is a non-collecting contemporary art museum located in the Arts District of the University of Houston campus. Housed in the university’s Fine Arts Building, it is part of the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. It was ...
at the University of Houston focus on major monographic and group exhibitions of national and international contemporary artists as well as artwork by University of Houston School of Art students.
Parks and recreation
Emancipation Park Emancipation Park may refer to:
*Emancipation Park (Houston), a park in Houston, Texas, United States
*Emancipation Park (Kingston, Jamaica), a park in Kingston, Jamaica
*Market Street Park, a park in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States former ...
and Emancipation Community Center are located at 3018 Dowling Street. Around 1870 the original owners of Emancipation Park purchased it to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States
The legal institution of human chattel slavery, comprising the enslavement primarily of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and African Americans, was prevalent in the United States of America from its founding in 1776 until 1865 ...
. The community center includes an indoor gymnasium, a weight room, and meeting rooms. The park has an outdoor basketball pavilion, lighted sports fields, lighted tennis courts, a swimming pool, a playground, and picnic areas.
Moses Leroy Park is located at 3100 Trulley Street. Our Park is located at 2604 Alabama Street beside SHAPE Community Center. Zurrie M. Malone Park is located at 2901 Nettleton Street, near Anita Street. Riverside Park is located at 2600 Calumet.
The Third Ward is included in the service area of the Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts or Boy Scout may refer to:
* Members, sections or organisations in the Scouting Movement
** Scout (Scouting), a boy or a girl participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
** Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America ...
W.L. Davis District.
The Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
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 ...
, serving the Third Ward, is located in Palm Center.Scurfield, Nick.Houston Texans YMCA opens in Third Ward
"
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
Official Website. January 6, 2011. Retrieved on January 3, 2015. The previous YMCA facility in the Third Ward was the South Central YMCA, between the two universities. This YMCA, in the era of de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, ...
, was open to African-Americans. Civil rights activist Quentin Mease found a previous facility and sought to expand it, with a new facility opening in 1955. This facility serviced activists in the Civil Rights Movement and housed NAACP meetings. By the mid-2000s, the building had problems with its air conditioning and plumbing. Membership fell by 90%, and at the end of its life it had 300 members. For these reasons it closed in December 2004. The following year the board of that YMCA planned to relocate to a new facility.
Notable residents
*Debbie Allen
Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award ...
(Actress/Dancer/Director)
* Phylicia Allen (Actress/Dean of Howard University Chadwick Boseman School of Fine Arts)
* Michelle Barnes, artist and arts administrator
* Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
* Arnett Cobb
Arnett Cleophus Cobb (August 10, 1918 – March 24, 1989)
accessed July 2010. was an American tenor saxophonist, somet ...
* accessed July 2010. was an American tenor saxophonist, somet ...
Albert Collins
Albert Gene Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993)Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. He was noted for his powerful playing ...
* Johnny Copeland
John Clyde Copeland (March 27, 1937 – July 3, 1997) was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer. In 1983, he was named Blues Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation. He is the father of blues singer Shemekia Copeland.
In 2017, ...
* Garnet Coleman
Garnet Fredrick Coleman (born September 8, 1961) is an American politician. From 1991 to 2022, he was a member of the Texas legislature, Texas House of Representatives for the 147th district, located entirely within Houston and Harris County, Te ...
(State representative)
* J. Elle, writer
*George Floyd
George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was an African-American man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd had used a counterfeit tw ...
* Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins
* Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She expressed an interest in music from an early age and had temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her older sister ...
* Anthony Obi "Fat Tony"
* Pat Parker
* Rinny Perkins, writer and artist
In popular culture
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
was raised in the Riverside Terrace area and features the neighborhood in her music video " No Angel" from her 2013 self-titled fifth album ''Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
''. Also from the album, songs " Drunk in Love" and " Pretty Hurts" further representation of the neighborhood is portrayed. Her company, Parkwood Entertainment, is named for Parkwood Park, where she played as a child.
Rapper Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
has also made references to Third Ward, as well as Houston more generally, in his music. In his 2014 single "Days in the East," he states: "Know I do this xpletivefor Third Ward already/ Know I do this xpletivefor H-town already." Despite hailing from Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Drake repeatedly mentions Houston in his songs and has adopted it as a city he represents.
Houston rappers often reference Third Ward in their lyrics.
See also
* Emancipation Park of Third Ward * History of the African-Americans in Houston * Riverside TerraceReferences
*Reference notes
Further reading
Third Ward Urban Redevelopment Plan
- April 2005, City of Houston
Third Ward
at Texas Southern University
Historic Third Ward Strategic Implementation Framework
– City of Houston et al – Final Report April 2019
External links
Third Ward Community Cloth Cooperative
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Third, Houston Neighborhoods in Houston Skid rows