tmariar

That sounds like maybe good news - thanks!

Found a Chronicle article that offers some background on the parking conflict. Now that I see it, I think I remember reading it, but was more focused then on the dispute over Emmaus.

That's how I know the building - I ordered veggies and fruit from the co-op once, and keep meaning to do it again.

I'm not certain of the history of the Ecclesia building, and so don't know if this ordinance applies, but the city ordinance directed at "requiring all persons developing new and redeveloping existing buildings within the city to provide sufficient off-street parking and loading facilities for such buildings" is section 26-471. It applies only: (1) To construction of new buildings; (2) To the alteration of existing structures where the alteration results in an increase in the gross floor area of a building or the useable floor area an existing free-standing structure; (3) To a change of land use; (4) To a change of use in a free-standing building from one occupancy class to another occupancy class; (5) To a change of use in a strip or neighborhood shopping center where the addition of a class 6 or 7 occupancy to the strip or neighborhood shopping center increases the total gross floor area of the shopping center used by class 6 or 7 occupancies. Section 26-472 defines a "church" in part by requiring it to have tax exempt status. Section 26-492 says that the parking required for a "church" is "1.0 space for every 5 fixed seats in auditorium or sanctuary or, if there are no fixed seats, 1.0 space for every 40 square feet of GFA in the main auditorium or sanctuary." From reading the comments below the video, it sounds like a lot may have gone before what the video-taker describes as heckling by HPD (not on tape) and what was on the tape, and for all I know that may justify the video-taker's anger. But without that background, the anger seems disproportionate, and the video does not offer proof of a violation of the ordinance by Ecclesia, violations of parking laws by its members (a separate issue), continued lack of parking-law enforcement at that location by HPD, or prior reasonable attempts on the neighbors' part to deal with the situation. I know the building and the neighborhood, and believe the applicable ordinances and laws should be enforced - but, if the neighbors are trying to get broader support for their cause, I think they would be better served by backing up several steps in presenting their case.

The Masons lodge (I assume now former Masons lodge) in Woodland Heights is on the southeast corner of Morrison and Byrne, so you were definitely in the right general area, assuming the beer garden or ice house was indeed in the backyard of the Masons lodge. It's probably the building you thought looked like a church or office. It's right there on the corner, but faces Byrne, not Morrison. It's got a nice stone exterior, and I think a striped awning in front. Don't know if that helps. I hope someone remembers the place - it sounds interesting! Edit: Now that I think more about it, I wonder if the lodge was still open at the time, and it was just a Masons event - or a regular Masons get together. I say that because some people still think of the Masons as a "secret" society. You'd know better from the conversation you had with your friend. I wonder if the lodge was still open at the time. Maybe someone else knows. Edit #2: Found out that the building was built by the Woodland Masonic Lodge #1157, in 1922. The lodge has since moved to a new location. Here are some photos. And one from further away:

Thanks!

Thanks. I have been wondering whether the building started as the Swift & Company Refinery, or became that later. So at least it was that by 1932. And I did see some things suggesting that Swift and Armour were related for at least some period of time. Don't know why the building interests me - I think one reason is that it's large, especially for its (apparent) age. And I'm thinking it must have played a big role in the early economic development of the surrounding neighborhoods. There were a number of large factories around the Heights in the early 1900's, but we don't have much left of them. It may well be, though, that the building is not as old as HCAD says. Alternatively, there's another very old building not far away - it's only 1-2 stories - and that may the 1909 building. Even if it doesn't date to 1909, though, it's still quite old - it's nice it's still being used.

As far as I know, Swift & Company was a meatpacking (and/or meat distribution) company. I saw somewhere on the internet someone saying that their relative had worked at the "Swift & Company Refinery" in Georgia, "working in the cold room packaging bacon." Plus, the company that is there now is a meat distribution company. But I'm hoping I can find more information about the place somewhere.

The only thing I really know about the Polish community here is that Fitzgerald's was originally built - back in 1917 or 1918 - as a Polish community center/dancehall. It was called Dom Polanski (which I think means "Polish Home"). The dances were held on the second floor, which used to have a lot of windows that could be opened to catch the breeze. I think there was a kitchen/dining area on the first floor.

Thanks, y'all - appreciate the information!

On bike rides around the neighborhood, I've spotted (and tried to photograph) lots of places/things about which I'm curious. Here are some I've passed recently: OLD BUILDINGS: The Swift & Company Refinery Building @ 621 Waverly - HCAD dates this building (at least I think it's this building) to 1909. It now appears to be owned by Freedman Distributors, Inc. It looks from the internet like both Swift & Company and Freedman Distributors have/had something to do with meat distribution. Southwestern Bell Building @ 743 Harvard - One site I found suggested this building was built in 1925-26. ART: Sculptures @ 620 W. 9th - There's a whole series of these along the fence - I think they're pretty cool. Squirrel drawings on street @ 800 block of Harvard - I've seen a similar squirrel drawing elsewhere in the Heights, but don't remember where. They remind me of the chalk outlines police put around dead bodies at crime scenes. FOOD/DRINK: J&R Louisiana Cajun Boudin & Sausage @ 420 E. 20th - Sounds like they do some retail sales here, but only in large quantities. 3 Hermanos Grocery & Grill @ 6500 N. Main La Coqueta Bar @ 2020 Studewood - No windows? Jamail Family Market @ 1602 Airline Dr. - But for the name, I'd assume this is a wholesaler. Puebla Bakery @ 6320 N. Main La Carreta @ 208 E. 20th - I've seen reviews, but don't know anyone who's been there. Polo's Sports Bar - Right by Dan Electro's C&F Drive Inn @ 6714 N. Main Rose Garden @ 2621 Link Figured I'd post and see if anyone had more information about the buildings or art, or had been to any of the restaurants/markets/bars...

Absolutely. Is it Super 8? If you don't get any responses to your post, I suggest emailing the non-profit Houston Arts and Media for advice and possible assistance.

Thanks! NewspaperArchive.com - It's a subscription service - I think it's $15-$20/month. But it gives fairly good text-searchable access to the Galveston paper all the way back to I think the 1860's, and some other local paper archives as well (no Houston papers, though). EDIT: Posted before I finished - I was going to add that I've found the Galveston paper to be an incredible resource wrt Houston history. Hence my frustration over Houston newspaper archives not being equally accessible.

Yes, check old Houston maps first to see the general development of Woodland Heights. And there is a lot of interesting information you can find easily on the internet about the Bayland Orphanage. Woodland Park (formerly Highland Park) and the old streetcars played a big role in the history of Houston Avenue. The former home of Woodland Heights developer William H. Wilson, at 205 Bayland, is a notable structure not too far from those commercial buildings. As for the buildings themselves, the old city directories at the Julia Ideson library willl show you what businesses were located there over the years (there are listings by address - very easy to use). I looked up one address (Kaboom Books - 3116 Houston Ave.) online, and saw that someone whose name looks like C.B. Gennusa applied for a building permit to build an addition at that address in February 1915. A 1910 article mentioned that Bayland Avenue was in the process of being paved (with shell), and referred to the buildings at the intersection of Houston and Bayland as Woodland Heights' "business district" - it also said that the city was considering a bond issue to pave Houston Avenue up from Spring Street to connect with Bayland, as Bayland would otherwise have no paved connection. In 1907, there was a wood yard - W.T. Weeden's Wood Yard - at 3108 Houston Ave. (Possibly this W.T. Weeden.) If you do the city directory research, let us know what you find!

Hey EMME! Have enjoyed your posts on Swamplot, assuming you're the same EMME. Yeah, this thread was started back in May 2006, and a lot has changed since then. Now the thread has become the default repository for a lot of Heights-restaurant-related posts, and so it's gotten overly long. I like to see individual restaurants have individual threads (and some do) - but the one I started on El Gallo de Jalisco (a nice little neighborhood taqueria on White Oak with limited hours) got moved by the moderators (who are generally very good at tidying things up) from the Heights section to the general restaurants section, so maybe there's an advantage to having this one very long thread for discussing Heights restaurants, even if the title has become misleading. I think the Heights can claim pretty much all of these restaurants as at least "Heights-area" restaurants. A friend asked this weekend what the closest Indian and Middle Eatern restaurants are, though, and that stumped me a bit. Not a lot of Heights-area options there, unless I'm forgetting somewhere...

Thanks for looking! I hadn't checked the old school photos link yet, so that's helpful.

I'm curious if anyone knows what's happening with the Harper School building at 3200 Center St. (just north of Washington Ave., just west of Studemont). Based on the information I've found, the building was built as the "Harper School" in 1927, and named after poet and abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. I think the school probably served black students for some period of its history, based on its name/age, but also because I've seen old newspaper references to "Harper Colored School" and "Harper School (Negro)". I've seen references to the Harper Colored School as far back as 1915, so I think it pre-existed the building. The architectural plans for the building are dated 1926, the project is referred to as "Harper Colored School - New Building", and the architects are listed as Wyatt C. Hedrick and Gottlieb. More recently, the building appears to have been used as an HISD alternative school - Harper Alternative School. But Harper Alternative School moved to North Shepherd in Fall 2007. There are a number of temporary buildings on the grounds next to the building. When I rode by a couple of weeks ago, the building and grounds were surrounded by a fence, with for-sale signs posted around the property. The sales company's brochure for the property is here. The ad mentions the temporary buildings, but not the 1927 building. Which makes me wonder if (1) the 1927 building is not for sale, or (2) the 1927 building has been torn down very recently, or will be torn down very soon. Anyone know what the plans are? Or have more information about the school's history? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/3431814651_0207cfc428_b.jpg Harper School (front view) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3432630548_b45fbd8bf1_b.jpg Harper School (side view)

Thanks! Though, the house hasn't been torn down yet, and Hakeem has cooperated with GHPA to some extent on other issues in the past - so I wouldn't assume just yet that he won't make some concession to the historical significance of this building. Even if it's just not charging a non-profit as much as he would a commercial venture for the purchase of the building.

There are drawings of the proposed structures in the last link in post 126. My understanding is that they are not a "giant modern apartment building" (like the yucky one built a couple of blocks away, fronting I-10), but two single-family houses to be built side-by-side. And I think the Freeland District is the only neighborhood the new constructions would "dwarf" - they would dwarf their neighbors, just like many (if not most) of the townhouses and houses-you-really-shouldn't-call-freestanding-without-a-wink that builders have squeezed into subdivided lots in the Heights. I'm certainly not in favor of anyone tearing down 536 Granberry and replacing it with two 50'-tall new constructions crammed into a single 50' lot in an otherwise undisturbed, albeit small, historic district. I'm against it for all the reasons cited by the HAHC in that same link, plus more. I admire the Freeland District residents for fighting to protect the historical integrity of their pocket of the Heights, and am fully behind them. I think there was just a misunderstanding along the way about the nature of the proposed structure(s). Or does someone have some more recent info suggesting the plans have changed? The lot is VERY deep (maybe 150'+ feet?), but I still can't imagine trying to build an apartment building there. Sorry to repeat myself but, if a moderator reads this, could we please have posts 125 forward moved to their own Freeland Historic District thread?

Based on past posts on Bob Bailey threads, it sounds to me like the copyright would be held either by (1) U.T. (most likely), or (2) the family trust that someone mentioned sold the photographs to U.T. U.T.'s CAH should know. It's possible the photo was never copyright-protected, or is no longer copyright-protected. See this page, plus at least the couple of pages that follow it (click on Next at the bottom of the page). My vote on how to use the photo if it's not copyright-protected: (1) Make a high-quality digital copy available in its original size, in its original form (i.e., no watermarks), somewhere on HAIF, making clear you're not claiming copyright protection, requesting attribution, etc. When it comes to historic photos, use-restrictions are obstacles to teaching (and hence learning) about the historic subject matter. So much of Houston's history - too much - is already obscure or gone for good. (2) If U.T. doesn't have the negative (they probably do), offer the photo to U.T. so that it can join the bulk of the collection, and so that it can be properly archived and preserved. (I'm still puzzled as to why U.T. - a public educational institution - doesn't allow copying of the Bailey photos they've posted online, but will readily admit that posting them online is more than some people would have done with them. Plus, I'm guessing that they have archivists who know how to preserve the photos properly.) I know you may not actually do the above, but thanks for asking for our input. If you're not able to post the photo, and U.T. already has the negative archived, and you personally feel like doing something more with the photo than just hanging it on your wall, you could always use it as a prize for a HAIF contest. Best post on Houston history (or Houston architecture) over a certain period... best user-created map of downtown Houston circa 1936... something like that.

Still hoping for a new thread for this topic... Someone left the following comment on Heights Blog: "The Freeland Historic District is the ONLY district left in the city of Houston with all original bungalows! It consists of 36 original homes. It is currently endangered of having one of of the bungalows demolished and replaced by two 4 story homes. Please support our efforts to preserve our small unique historic district by stopping by Onion Creek to sign the petition book located on the bar. Thank you for your support! Living in the past and loving it! Sincerely, Freeland residents."

The attribution would put a certain spin on the slogan... "Live in Freeland or Die" - RedScare

I'd just seen the sheet sign, but had wondered the same thing. Especially given that I first noticed it about the same time I learned that the two projects that had been discussed for the parcels on either side of Onion Creek/Charles' Liquor were not going forward as originally conceived (and from the sound of it, now possibly won't involve any tear-downs at all). Likely just coincidence, though. Homeowners in that area across the street (east of Oxford, south of White Oak, west of Studewood, north of WO Bayou) - near where the sheet sign is - have had to fight a number of battles over the years. The boundaries of "Freeland Historic District" itself can be seen on this pdf - essentially, it's lots fronting Frasier, Granberry, or Reserve. The sheet sign was the first I'd heard of it - but see this press release. And I noticed that there is an application pending to demolish the house at 536 Granberry (owner Dale C. Moore, applicant Jack Preston Wood). See also this document. So maybe that's got something to do with the signs? Could we give Gooch's post a new thread? The White Oak parcels aren't within the Freeland Historic District...

Apologies for the poor picture quality, but here's the new rendering: This appears to be the same 1950's shopping center that is already there, as evident from the stair-step design on the corner, but with new paint, sign, landscaping, etc. The rendering doesn't show the property on the other side of the row of three tall palm trees, which is the narrow lot between this one and Onion Creek. If the neighborhood response had any part to play in the owner's decision not to build a high-rise on this property, I want to say thanks. I think the proposed renovation will be a positive thing for White Oak and the surrounding area. I wonder what's going on down the street with the Burroughs property...

Really? That's fantastic! I'm going to see if I can get a photo. I'm always in way over my head when I try to talk architecture... but it seems like we have a fair number of landmark buildings built in the deco period, and that have at least some deco touches. I'm thinking like: The Heights Theater The Church of Christ Lambert Hall The newly remodeled retail center at 11th and Yale To me, art deco seems like a great idea for a project of that size, in that location, if done properly.