Fez1964

Magnolia Park City Hall and Central Fire Station addressed at 7301 Avenue F, zip code is 77012.

Texas Historical Commission marker dedication for the Magnolia Park City Hall & Fire Station building at 7301 Avenue F.

A Recorded Texas Historical Landmark marker has been approved for the Magnolia Park City Hall & Central Fire Station building addressed at 7301 Avenue F, zip code 77011. Look for the historical marker to be dedicated sometime in mid-2010. Thanks goes out to the Special Recreation Services and the Magnolia Park Historical Preservation Association for making this possibles. Here is how the marker inscription will read: THE CITY OF MAGNOLIA PARK WAS INCORPORATED ON JULY 1, 1913, ON PROPERTY FIRST DEVELOPED BY JOHN THOMAS BRADY IN 1890 AS A LARGE EXCURSION PARK. FOR THE MUNICIPALITY’S FIRST TEN YEARS, CITY OFFICES WERE LOCATED IN VARIOUS TEMPORARY FACILITIES, ALL SITUATED ALONG HARRISBURG BOULEVARD. BY THE EARLY 1920s, OFFICIALS DECIDED TO CONSOLIDATE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY ALDERMEN WITH THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION IN A SINGLE BUILDING AT THE SITE OF THE CITY’S ORIGINAL FIRE STATION, WHICH WAS RAZED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW STRUCTURE. DESIGNED BY THE HOUSTON ARCHITECTURAL FIRM OF McLELLAND & FINK AND CONSTRUCTED BY MAGNOLIA PARK CONTRACTOR CHARLEY DAHL, THE COMBINED CITY HALL AND FIRE STATION WAS DEDICATED ON JULY 1, 1923, THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF MAGNOLIA PARK’S INCORPORATION. ON OCTOBER 16, 1926, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ANNEXED THE CITY OF MAGNOLIA PARK. THIS FACILITY THEN SERVED THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AS FIRE STATION NO. 20 AND AS A REGIONAL BATTALION HEADQUARTERS. A HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT SUBSTATION WAS ALSO LOCATED HERE. EVENTUALLY, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT VACATED THE BUILDING AND FIRE STATION NO. 20 WAS RELOCATED IN 1973. THE BUILDING HAS ALSO SERVED AS A HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT VOTING LOCATION. THE TWO-STORY DARK RED BRICK AND CAST STONE BUILDING IS DIVIDED BY VERTICAL PIERS INTO SECTIONS, WITH AN ENTRANCE DOOR LEADING TO A STAIRWAY TO SECOND FLOOR OFFICES ON THE WEST, AND THE FIRE STATION AND SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS TO THE EAST. LATER RENOVATIONS INCLUDED A BRICK CALABOOSE APPENDED TO THE BUILDING’S EAST SIDE. THE PARAPET OVER THE ENTRY CONTAINS A SCALLOPED PEDIMENT FRAMING A CAST STONE PANEL INSCRIBED “CITY HALL.”

I am also wondering what does this discussion on street peddlers laughing all the way down the money trail to Mexico have to do with celebrating the history of Magnolia Park?

May these Texas Historical Commission markers educate, inspire and bring pride to Magnolia Park for many decades to come.

Two Texas Historical Commission markers will be dedicated on Tuesday, October 6. At 10:00 AM that morning, a marker will be rededicated for the Republic of Texas historic figure, Lorenzo De Zavala, at the De Zavala Elementary school, 7521 Avenue H. The attached photo shows the 41-year old marker as it remained weathered and damaged in a county warehouse for over 10 years. The marker was originally dedicated in 1968 in Channelview, three miles from the original homesite and grave of De Zavala. Magnolia Park efforts have successfully relocated, repaired and refinished the marker for unveiling on October 6. At 6:00 PM on the same day, the Magnolia Park historical marker will be unveiled at the De Zavala Park community center. The dedications will include the attendance of local officials and a Texas Army salute to Lorenzo De Zavala with cannons. (KABOOOM!!)

Please bear with me here as I post on a subject not related to Magnolia Park but to East End as a whole and one of great importance to me. Project Respect is a group that is scheduled to visit the historic Harrisburg Jackson Cemetery near Lawndale and Broadway on Saturday, July 11 for a clean-up event on the cemetery. I believe that the clean-up will begin very early that day. Here is a link of Project Respect: http://projectrespect.com/ Follow the links on the site for more information. It would be nice to see East End rally together to preserve what is perhaps Houston's oldest surviving African American cemetery.

I think you are mistakened here. The streets of Eastwood and Lawndale are not in Magnolia Park.

After many months of preparation, research, fundraising, and meetings with the community, our efforts to secure a Texas Historical Commission marker for Magnolia Park have just about come to a successful conclusion. Below is how the inscription will read on the 27' X 42' marker that will be installed in De Zavala Park. Numbers in parenthesis represent the years that that particular institution or landmark was organized. While the marker is being fabricated in the foundry, we are looking at a date, perhaps in September, to dedicate it. The other marker approved for the Magnolia Park City Hall building addressed on Avenue F will probably not be ready until after September of this year. MAGNOLIA PARK ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED AS A SPRAWLING EXCURSION PARK AREA BY JOHN THOMAS BRADY IN 1890, MAGNOLIA PARK EARNED ITS NAME FROM THE ABUNDANCE OF MAGNOLIA TREES PLANTED IN THE AREA. STARTING IN 1909, THE MAGNOLIA PARK LAND COMPANY REDEVELOPED THE PARK INTO TWO RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS, MAGNOLIA PARK (1909) AND CENTRAL PARK (1912), WHICH WERE INCORPORATED TOGETHER IN 1913 AS THE CITY OF MAGNOLIA PARK. COVERING TWO SQUARE MILES, THE CITY WAS BORDERED ON THE NORTH AND EAST BY BUFFALO BAYOU AND THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, ON THE SOUTH BY BRAYS BAYOU AND ON THE WEST BY RAIL LINES. EVENTUALLY, THE CITY OF MAGNOLIA PARK WAS ANNEXED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN 1926. WHILE THE FOUNDERS OF MAGNOLIA PARK WERE OF EUROPEAN DESCENT, PERSONS OF MEXICAN DESCENT HAVE DOMINATED MOST OF ITS HISTORY, MAKING IT ONE OF HOUSTON

Do not underestimate the musical tastes of hispanics. It can be diverse. In Mexico, for example, the 80s music discussed on this thread is popular among the younger generations.

Thanks goes out to Ernesto Nieto of the National Hispanic Institute for co-sponsoring with the Magnolia Park Historical Preservation Association the Texas Historical Commission marker that will be installed in De Zavala Park. But we have encountered a "snag" in our efforts to install two duplicate community markers. According to their current policy, the Texas Historical Commission disapproved our application to have a duplicate marker for the community installed in Hidalgo Park. Needless to say, we are petitioning with the Texas Historical Commission to reconsider their decision. In our defense, we have cited that the Heights community has duplicate markers for the neighborhood. One is at the Heights public library and the second one is on Heights Boulevard near I-10. We also received final approval from the state commission for the marker to be installed at the Magnolia Park City Hall & Central Fire Station building addressed at 7301 Avenue F and plan to move forward with that project.

I copied the article below directly from the Lady of Guadalupe Church website and it gives a more detailed history of the church, school and cemetery. For clarification, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church off of Harrisburg Boulevard in the community of Magnolia Park founded Our Lady of Guadalupe as a mission. On May 4, 1847 as the Lone Star Republic was about to become the State of Texas, the Diocese of Galveston was established and John Odin became our first Bishop. At that time the diocese covered the whole State. On December 29, 2004, Pope John Paul II created a second archdiocese in Texas, raising the Diocese of Galveston-Houston to the status of a Metropolitan Archdiocese. Bishop Fiorenza was named the first Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, and Bishop DiNardo the Coadjutor Archbishop. Archbishop DiNardo became ordinary of the archdiocese upon Archbishop Fiorenza's retirement in 2006. Pope Benedict XVI elevated Abp. DiNardo to the position of Cardinal on Nov. 24, 2007. Two auxiliary bishops, Bishop Emeritus Vincent M. Rizzotto and Bishop Joe S. Vasquez currently assist Cardinal DiNardo. In 2008 there are now 15 dioceses in Texas. Houston was founded in 1836 when the Allen Brothers landed on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou about a mile northwest of where Our Lady of Guadalupe parish is now. It was not until 1911 that a great influx of Mexicans began coming to Houston because of the unrest in Mexico. At that time it became apparent that the Sacraments needed to be administered in Spanish. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate were sent to begin Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in 1912. Father Robert Chatillon celebrated the first Mass on August 18 in a two-story building erected that same year. The top floor was the church, and the bottom floor was the school. School opened for class on September 8, 1912. It is the oldest Catholic grade school in Houston. The Diocese has owned the property on which Our Lady of Guadalupe stands since about 1856. The first Catholic parish of Houston was St. Vincent, located a half mile away, across Franklin Street from the present county jail. St. Vincent

The Magnolia Park Historical Preservation Association (MPHPA) would like to thank the Greater East End District for graciously sponsoring the Texas Historical Commission marker honoring the community of Magnolia Park's history that will be installed in Hidalgo Park later this year.

Came into the store on December 30 and immediately noticed that there were playing a 70s format this evening. It didn't sound well. Let the management know that we want that 80s music back in the store. I want my MTV back in HEB at Gulfgate! *fists pounding table*

Can any provide background or information on the brick building on the northeast corner of Wayside Dr. and Harriburg Blvd. which used to be an old telephone exchange for Southwestern Bell? As early as 1925, the property had some kind of telephone exchange structure on it according to some old Sanborn maps. The building is solid and looks structurally sound but I see no traffic entering it. Is it currently being used for something?