Brunsville - Old Subdivision Near The Ship Channel

[Chauncey Gardiner]

OnTheOtherHand said, "I wonder what the developer was thinking in 1893. This was just after the Heights was developed. Was this supposed to be another suburb? It was near a rail line that could have been used by commuters (maybe a station was planned at the south end of the neighborhood). If not a suburb, where would the people work? This was prior to the major deepening/widening of the ship channel.

Maybe the park like the entire neighborhood was the result of overly optimistic thinking."

 

I too wondered what the Brunsville developer was thinking. The Panic of 1893 could explain why the Brunsville development failed. The economic depression of the 1890s was just as bad as the Great Depression of the 30s. Southern states being very hard hit.

 

Subdude, I do wonder if Brunsville didn't get its name due to a fair number of blacks living in the area. Just speculation on my part. I only suggest this since as a kid I lived near an all black neighborhood called Brownsville. An elderly black neighbor said the name Brownsville had nothing to do with a surname and everything to do with the neighborhood being exclusively non-white. Oh, Brun could be German, Old English or French meaning brown. Anyway... A few German immigrants in Texas had Brun as a surname and that's a more likely explanation for the name Brunsville is my guess.

 

Thanks to all making contributions. Very interesting and most appreciated.

 

This is my first posting, BTW. :-) I originally lurked around the forum looking for info on Dixie Automobiles once made at 1212 through 1218 Texas Avenue. Then I found this discussion and....

[Subdude]

Welcome to HAIF.

 

On the naming, my guess would be the more obvious - that the (failed) developer was named Brun or something similar.  There was a Brunner neighborhood in Houston. 

 

We will probably never know, but the Panic of 1893 or 1907 could be a good explanation of what happened to the development.

 

 

[NenaE]

Thanks Chauncey...interesting, about the depression, good theory. Brunsville sounds German to me. My German grandfather, along with many others, settled in the East End, hence German Street, later renamed Canal St., Engelke neighborhood., etc. Many Germans moved away from the EE, later, I've read.

And welcome to HAIF.

[sevfiv]

I forgot that way back when I made a quick reconstruction of the neighborhood from the block book maps - it would have been larger than this (it extended about twelve blocks more north). Also, I don't know if it was mentioned before, but one of the streets heading north from the ovals was named "Park View" so it's pretty safe to say it was some sort of elaborate park.

 

http://www.arch-ive.org/houston/brunsville/brunsville_reconstruction.jpg

 

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

sevfiv, "Park View".... I get that. A large and probably ornate commomon area as an anchor to such grand planned development is about right for the late Victorian Era. Brunsville an intended early version of a bedroom community perhaps?

 

Ah... Someone mentioned the park/common ground being designed with bicycling in mind. Interesting theory for a couple of reasons. What a great forum. :-)

[Chauncey Gardiner]

NenaE, Yes.... The economic conditions would have played role in both the decision to build Brunsville initially and then it's failure or deliberate cancellation. Interesting about the Germans moving away. Why?

Thanks

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Subdude, Thank you and I'll bet bet you're correct.

[NenaE]

NenaE, Yes.... The economic conditions would have played role in both the decision to build Brunsville initially and then it's failure or deliberate cancellation. Interesting about the Germans moving away. Why?

Thanks

Not sure, as mine never did. Maybe they didn't like the industrial expansion. The area of Magnolia Park was initially very wooded and park-like. Perhaps they just wanted a bigger house.