Jump to content

Meyer Mansion & Estate At 3200 Reba Dr.


Highrise Tower

Recommended Posts

I just learned (or discovered) about this today! There was a 30-acre Meyer estate in River Oaks? Never knew that.  They had property all over! Downtown, Montrose, The Heights, Meyerland, and now River Oaks!

Would love to see photos of their homes, or gardens. Any pictures out there? This would have been in the early to mid 1920s.
Edit: The oval park was already established by the Meyer family? I thought the oval park was built during redevelopment.  wow! Those homes had to be huge!

Found via: River Oaks Scrapbook, volume 6 (April to October 1928).

River Oaks Corporation Opens New 35-Acre Section East Of Addition's Drive.

Tract is portion of old Meyer Homestead, located south of River Oaks Golf Course; oval park named in honor of Mrs. Rebecca Meyer.

River Oaks Corporation, through Hugh Potter, president, Saturday announced the opening of the 35-acre tract of new property lying immediately east of River Oaks boulevard and south of the River Oaks Golf Course and Country Club.

The tract is sometimes known as the Dow-Meyer tract, being apart of the old Meyer homestead. It was formerly owned by the three Meyer brothers, Joseph F. Jr., George and Frank.  The large oval park lying in the center of the property has been named Rebecca Meyer Park in honor of Mrs. Rebecca Meyer, mother of the three Meyer brothers.

This park is one of the outstanding features of the new River Oaks residential area. It will be completely landscaped, beautified end equipped with playground paraphernalia for the children. In order that it may be accessible to every home site in the new development, an 11-foot hedgerow walk has been laid out leading north and south from two sides of the park.

The new River Oaks property comprises 35 acres of ground, 108 new home sites that are to be placed on the market immediately.

It is conveniently accessible to the shopping center erected at the southern entrance to River Oaks a few months ago and is on the River Oaks Express bus line, Mr. Potter pointed out.  

Improvement of the tract has already begun under the direction of H.A. Kipp, vice president and engineer for the corporation. The tract will be developed and improved in the same way as the eastern sector of River Oaks, the Buffalo Drive sector and the original sector.  Improvements, maintenance, landscaping, and architectural control will be the same as in all other sections. These improvements include concrete and asphalt streets, gas, water, lights, telephone, storm and sanitary sewers, concrete sidewalks and River Oaks ornamental street illuminations.

A part of the new River Oaks development will be restricted to one-story homes, but there will also be home sites available suitable for the construction of two-story homes. Most of the home sites have a frontage of 65 to 75 feet, but there are a--

dtMXjiz.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't find this on Google Earth aerial photographs. I bet these Meyer homes would be outlined in 1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps? I'll see what else I can find.

 I will also need to find an exact address! I doubt Reba Drive was actually the street name back when the Meyer's controlled the land.  Anyone have the address?

Also, the 35-acre tract was called Dow-Meyer tract. Who was the Dow family? The article only mentioned the Meyer family. Was Dow less famous, or the previous owner?

1944:

x9FdYS0.jpg

2023:

79xBzAA.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still researching the last name Dow in the name Dow-Meyer tract.

Searching around HAIF I found the following thread: Dow Elementary School At 1900 Kane St. I went to HISD's website to look at all their historical school information and found the following.

Dow Elementary School - Closed in 1993.
1900 Kane Street.

The original school on Washington Avenue was built in 1887 and named after Justin E. Dow, who served as principal of Houston High School (1882–1885) and superintendent of Houston Public Schools (1885–1887)

The campus moved to 1900 Kane Street in Houston’s old Sixth Ward in 1912 and closed in 1993.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...