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Abercrombie House On Old Riceville School Rd.


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In the 60s there was this large house at what now must be Gessner and Braeswood. I remember it from my youth and I believe it said C W Abercrombie on the mailbox. I remember going by it and stopping only to find it abandoned and open. Anyone know about this and why.? It was what I would consider a very nice place at one time.

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In the 60s there was this large house at what now must be Gessner and Braeswood. I remember it from my youth and I believe it said C W Abercrombie on the mailbox. I remember going by it and stopping only to find it abandoned and open. Anyone know about this and why.? It was what I would consider a very nice place at one time.

Very Interesting...looks like there were several large homesteads in the 1964 aerial map, at that intersection. What style was the house?

And, do you remember there being a gold course close by? If so, where did the house sit in relation to it, south or west ? Did the house have trees around it? Did it sit close to the road?

A neighborhood was developed southeast of the two roads, in the sixties. The land you mention could have been sold at a nice profit, for future development. Looks like most or all the estate homes at that intersection disappeared, eventually.

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The house was a large white house , two story. There was a white rail fence which encircled the property. On an aerial map you would have seen a confluence of a stream with the bayou> On the other side of the road Riceville was where the expansion of Braeburn Valley would eventually be. On the other side of Braes Bayou was the golf course (Braeburn Valley CC). Across Riceville was several houses and a large horse facility. I believe it was called Chatsworth Farm. At the corner of Bissonet and Riceville/Gessner there was a field which had jumps arranged for horses. Before Braeburn Valley West was added I use to pasture my horse on that land. I grew up in the origional B.V. but left in 73. I am waxing nostalgic in my old age and have loved finding this site. only it seems the posts to the area threads are dated a few years prior to my discovery. Really don't want to bore anyone but I have a vault full of memories and several questions this being one of them. I do remember this house and across the bayou at Chatsworth I thought I had heard of some association with Ash Robinson and Joan Hill. probablly urban gossip. I miss Houston.

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In the 60s there was this large house at what now must be Gessner and Braeswood. I remember it from my youth and I believe it said C W Abercrombie on the mailbox. I remember going by it and stopping only to find it abandoned and open. Anyone know about this and why.? It was what I would consider a very nice place at one time.

What a shame. I am 90 percent sure that this C.W. Abercrombie was the father of Navy Ensign William W. Abercrombie, who was decorated - posthumously - for heroism early in WWII. The Navy immediately put his name on a Destroyer Escort that was under construction at the shipyards in Orange. The USS Abercrombie was launched in 1944, and christened by his mother, Mrs. C.W. Abercrombie.

The Abercrombie served in the Pacific theater through the end of the war. In 1946, Abercrombie was decommissioned, and put in the mothball fleet in San Diego. She remained in the inactive mothball fleet until 1968, when she was towed out to sea and used for target practice. Useful to the very end.

BTW, I have found no evidence that C.W. Abercrombie had any relation to James Abercrombie, the longtime President of Cameron Iron in Houston.

Edited by FilioScotia
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The house was a large white house , two story. There was a white rail fence which encircled the property. On an aerial map you would have seen a confluence of a stream with the bayou> On the other side of the road Riceville was where the expansion of Braeburn Valley would eventually be. On the other side of Braes Bayou was the golf course (Braeburn Valley CC). Across Riceville was several houses and a large horse facility. I believe it was called Chatsworth Farm. At the corner of Bissonet and Riceville/Gessner there was a field which had jumps arranged for horses. Before Braeburn Valley West was added I use to pasture my horse on that land. I grew up in the origional B.V. but left in 73. I am waxing nostalgic in my old age and have loved finding this site. only it seems the posts to the area threads are dated a few years prior to my discovery. Really don't want to bore anyone but I have a vault full of memories and several questions this being one of them. I do remember this house and across the bayou at Chatsworth I thought I had heard of some association with Ash Robinson and Joan Hill. probablly urban gossip. I miss Houston.

GoogleEarth shows (in the 1953 historical image) a large piece of land, no trees, with a white structure (house?) in the middle of it, with a bayou close by, directly north (think it's called Keegans) , a creek to the south, that flows into the bayou on the golf course, Ricevillle School Rd. (S. Gessner) to the west of it. The golf course was directly next to it, to the east. The entrance road to the white structure was off of Riceville School Rd. (Gessner). It sat back off the road. The property had apartments built on it, eventually, 1970's. Maybe that's the property you speak of.

On the opposite side of Riceville School Rd. (Gessner), near the intersection of Breaswood, you can see a oval shape (maybe a horse track) next to the creek. That must have been the stable facilities. (see Historic aerials, 1964).

BraeBurn Country Club is very old, dates back to the 1920's, said the clubhouse was torn down, and rebuilt in the 50's or '60s. The original name was Colonial Country Club, was renamed and redeveloped in the early 1930's, became very popular at that time.

map link (see southwest bottom corner) http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/historic/road_maps/images/1965_houston_humble_highres.jpg

Edited by NenaE
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GoogleEarth shows (in the 1953 historical image) a large piece of land, no trees, with a white structure (house?) in the middle of it, with a bayou close by, directly north (think it's called Keegans) , a creek to the south, that flows into the bayou on the golf course, Ricevillle School Rd. (S. Gessner) to the west of it. The golf course was directly next to it, to the east. The entrance road to the white structure was off of Riceville School Rd. (Gessner). It sat back off the road. The property had apartments built on it, eventually, 1970's. Maybe that's the property you speak of.

On the opposite side of Riceville School Rd. (Gessner), near the intersection of Breaswood, you can see a oval shape (maybe a horse track) next to the creek. That must have been the stable facilities. (see Historic aerials, 1964).

BraeBurn Country Club is very old, dates back to the 1920's, said the clubhouse was torn down, and rebuilt in the 50's or '60s. The original name was Colonial Country Club, was renamed and redeveloped in the early 1930's, became very popular at that time.

map link (see southwest bottom corner) http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/historic/road_maps/images/1965_houston_humble_highres.jpg

I've got pictures of the old Abercrombie house before they tore it down to make way for the Kroger in 1977--I'll post as soon as I can get my scanner working. We used to ride motorcycles on the bayou bluff right by there--I actually remember when the school bus from Bonham would drop off one of the daughters there in the mid 60's..she was prbly in the 6th grade at the time..they had a cellar that was kind of a creepy hideout long after they moved out..Anyone remember the Handee Food Mart right across the street?

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I use to mop the floor of that store some Saturdays for a role of nickles listening to Donovans Mellow Yellow. I went to Bonham but I never knew anyone who lived there. Across from the Handy was a small Professional Bldg. along the bayou. Did you start the topic on Robindele sic Center Sharpstown Bill? Heck this is better than reading a book.

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I use to mop the floor of that store some Saturdays for a role of nickles listening to Donovans Mellow Yellow. I went to Bonham but I never knew anyone who lived there. Across from the Handy was a small Professional Bldg. along the bayou. Did you start the topic on Robindele sic Center Sharpstown Bill? Heck this is better than reading a book.

There was also an ARCO station on the corner--I remember Dad giving me 50 cents & I'd walk down there & fill up the gas can for the lawn mower & had money left over for an ICEE next door..hey do you remember the guy that always wore a hard hat that seemed to be at the Handee Mart everytime I came in? Nice guy but can't remember his name. I think I did start that thread a while back--it's pretty cool to see pics whenever someone posts them..for some reason my computer won't load Googlr Rarth

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  • 4 years later...

I came across this while looking for the location of the Riceville Cemetery.

In 1960 my family moved into Braeburn Valley section 3 (South of Brays Bayou). There was no Fondren Road and S. Braeswood dead-ended at Old Riceville School Road. This was a shell road, no blacktop nor paved. The Abercrombie's had many acres, the house had a Plantation look. To the North was Chatsworth's Farm, where Joan Robinson Hill (Mrs John Hill) kept her horses. Both families, Jim S Abercrombie and Joan Robinson Hill  were active in the Pin Oaks Charity which was originally located between Bissonnet and Westpark, inside Loop 610.

Years later the Abercrombies moved, sold the land, and S Braeswood opened up and went through to Bissonnet. Don' know when the name changed to S Gessner.

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
  • The title was changed to Abercrombie House On Old Riceville School Rd.

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