Chauncey Gardiner

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

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

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. :-)

6thgentxn,

Thank you and everyone else for sharing this information. I've driven through this area a hundred times and have wondered how/why the land was never developed as a subdivision. Specifically why Forest Pines was never built out to Bingle.  Home builders were obviously busy in the general area all through the 60s and 70s. Now we know….. The basically failed Rosslyn subdivision left behind a chaotic situation. So I was told just prior to financial crisis that a developer looked into the area and promptly changed his mind.

“Most were bought in response to ads in National magazines in about 1910-15.”  The Panic of 1910-11 and then Recession of 1914-15 may explain the lack of development. Same economic situation that killed off Houstons Southern Motor Car Company in 1910?

Whitesman, That house you mention located on Pinemont built in 1925 I’m guessing would have been on block 42. Somewhere about lots 40-35 facing south on Broom Ave.. BTW, An older neighbor mentioned that “Rosslyn” was a hell whole. lol

The aerial map from 1969 and current satellite maps are interesting. Look closely at the area east of Bingle between Pinemont to the south and W. Tidwell to the north. Notice the existing structures and streets along with tree lines align nicely with early map of the Rosslyn subdivision as planned. Note the two lines of trees running east/west south of Rena. Poppy and Broom avenues? There is a Poppy St. west of Bingle today that also aligns nicely with tree line immediately south of Rena and east of Bingle.

I guess it’s safe to assume the Rosslyn subdivision circa 1910-15 was never much more than a handful of homes at most, surveyor’s stakes and dirt roads? The current Rosslyn Park the NE corner of what I assume was the common ground/park of the Rosslyn subdivision?

Next time I’m in area I’ll go exploring. Carefully go exploring…. It’s an iffy area. ;-)

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....