Contemporary Learning Center At 1906 Cleburne Ave.

[mwkellner]

First, I would like to say what a wonderful site this is. I happened upon it a few days ago and have been up very late since trying to catch up on the past posts. The lost sleep has been worth it. I am not very familiar with downtown Houston (I'm from Baytown), so I will probably have more questions than information to share. I hope that is all right, because I am fascinated with the old structures and growth patterns of cities (especially local ones).

Soooo... here is the question:

There is a beautiful red brick three story school on Cleburne between Chenevert and Chartres. It has 1925 on the top and is now used as an alternative campus of some sort. What school was originally in this building? 

Is there a web site or document that focuses on the growth of/information about the school system in Houston? I have discovered several links from these posts about local history, I know if one exists on the schools y'all would know.

Thanks in advance for all of the information I will enjoy from this site in the future.

[Firebird65]

I don't know the answer myself, but I know who will. You need a poster named isuredid. He knows everything and what he doesn't know, he knows how and where to find. Have patience... I'm sure he'll come across this thread.

[brerrabbit]

Off the top of my head with no research what so ever I think that may be Incarnate Word Academy. It's a Catholic Girls School. My next door neighbor from when I was growing up went there. They are a sister school to St. Thomas Catholic school and she was St. Thomas' homecoming queen in 1978.

Sorry, I'm way off. Incarnate Word is at the other end of Chenevert near Minute Maid Park.

[Pumapayam]

I don't know the answer myself, but I know who will. You need a poster named isuredid. He knows everything and what he doesn't know, he knows how and where to find. Have patience... I'm sure he'll come across this thread.

Give him a PM, that is a quicker way to bug the guy!

[57Tbird]

Now the Contemporary Learning Center in the HISD, I think it may be the old Albert Sidney Johnston Junior High School. That's the area it was in, if I remember correctly. My wife went there in the late 40's-early50's after MacGregor Elementary, which is in the same vicinity.

[isuredid]

First, I would like to say what a wonderful site this is. I happened upon it a few days ago and have been up very late since trying to catch up on the past posts. The lost sleep has been worth it. I am not very familiar with downtown Houston (I'm from Baytown), so I will probably have more questions than information to share. I hope that is all right, because I am fascinated with the old structures and growth patterns of cities (especially local ones).

Soooo... here is the question:

There is a beautiful red brick three story school on Cleburne between Chenevert and Chartres. It has 1925 on the top and is now used as an alternative campus of some sort. What school was originally in this building?

Is there a web site or document that focuses on the growth of/information about the school system in Houston? I have discovered several links from these posts about local history, I know if one exists on the schools y'all would know.

Thanks in advance for all of the information I will enjoy from this site in the future.

It was originally Albert Sidney Johnston Junior High

Edited January 8, 2007 by isuredid

[57Tbird]

I had looked for something on the history of this building on the CLC website to verify my thought that it was originally the Johnston Jr High. Since I didn't find anything, I sent an e-mail to the principal, Tresa Moore. This is her reply to my inquiry about the history of the building. Interesting!

"The building was actually built in 1914 - it first served children in the neighborhood from the Jewish Community. Since then it has evolved from Johnson and Miller MS to what is now the Contemporary Learning Center (Middle & High School) and Houston Night High (which was old Milby Night High Program)."

Wonder why it has 1925 on it, if built in 1914? Maybe it was originally a much smaller structure and was added onto.

isuredid... Can you verify this?

[isuredid]

I had looked for something on the history of this building on the CLC website to verify my thought that it was originally the Johnston Jr High. Since I didn't find anything, I sent an e-mail to the principal, Tresa Moore. This is her reply to my inquiry about the history of the building. Interesting!

"The building was actually built in 1914 - it first served children in the neighborhood from the Jewish Community. Since then it has evolved from Johnson and Miller MS to what is now the Contemporary Learning Center (Middle & High School) and Houston Night High (which was old Milby Night High Program)."

Wonder why it has 1925 on it, if built in 1914? Maybe it was originally a much smaller structure and was added onto.

isuredid... Can you verify this?

If there was an earlier school it was not at that location. Here is the 1924 Sanborn Map of that location and it shows no structures:

[mwkellner]

If there was an earlier school it was not at that location. Here is the 1924 Sanborn Map of that location and it shows no structures:

Thanks isuredid for the reply and info. That is a huge Jr High building. What High School would that have fed into in the 20's and 30's. I wonder why the building is still not used as a regular campus if it is fit for an alternative campus. I know that HISD has a very confusing history with its buildings due to its size, but I would like to find out as much as I can. Is there something I need to do to view the map you referenced? It didn't show up in the post for me. Thanks again.

[57Tbird]

Thanks isuredid for the reply and info. That is a huge Jr High building. What High School would that have fed into in the 20's and 30's. I wonder why the building is still not used as a regular campus if it is fit for an alternative campus. I know that HISD has a very confusing history with its buildings due to its size, but I would like to find out as much as I can. Is there something I need to do to view the map you referenced? It didn't show up in the post for me. Thanks again.

San Jacinto High School

isuredid... Thanks for the map. I wonder where Ms. Moore got her information?

[57Tbird]

isuredid... Thanks for the map. I wonder where Ms. Moore got her information?

I sent her another e-mail and asked her. This is her reply, as written...

"In 1914 there is a monument by one of our historic trees that document

that the Jewish community did indeed begin a school at that time. HISD

officially took if over in 1925.

Tresa A. Moore"

If anyone is in the CLC area (1906 Cleburne) with a camera, see if you can locate the monument and take a shot of it. I would like to see what it says.

Edited January 11, 2007 by 57Tbird

[isuredid]

I sent her another e-mail and asked her. This is her reply, as written...

"In 1914 there is a monument by one of our historic trees that document

that the Jewish community did indeed begin a school at that time. HISD

officially took if over in 1925.

Tresa A. Moore"

If anyone is in the CLC area with a camera, see if you can locate the monument and take a shot of it. I would like to see what it says.

This shows a Synagogue across the street from the school. Congregation Beth Jacob.

[EspersonBuildings]

The structure was built in 1925 as Albert Sydney Johnston Junior High School. Sometime during the 1950's (when the current Johnston on Manhattan was built) it became William E. Miller Junior High. In the 1970's it became The Contemporary Learning Center High School which occupied the 1st and 2nd floors, the 3rd floor was called Staff Development. Contemporary Learning Center Middle School was at 4100 Chartress (the corner of Chartress and Cleburne) in temporary buildings. Around 1980 the middle schoold moved into the third floor of the 1925 structure and CLC had both it's middle and high schools in the same building. I believe today it is also used as CLC night school. I attended the middle school in 1977-78 (8th grade) and the high school in 1978-79 (9th grade).

Edited January 12, 2007 by EspersonBuildings

[mwkellner]

The structure was built in 1925 as Albert Sydney Johnston Junior High School. Sometime during the 1950's (when the current Johnston on Manhattan was built) it became William E. Miller Junior High. In the 1970's it became The Contemporary Learning Center High School which occupied the 1st and 2nd floors, the 3rd floor was called Staff Development. Contemporary Learning Center Middle School was at 4100 Chartress (the corner of Chartress and Cleburne) in temporary buildings. Around 1980 the middle schoold moved into the third floor of the 1925 structure and CLC had both it's middle and high schools in the same building. I believe today it is also used as CLC night school. I attended the middle school in 1977-78 (8th grade) and the high school in 1978-79 (9th grade).

Thanks for the information about the school, I have seen it for a long time of 288, it is beautiful. TBird said the students feed into SanJacHS. Is that the building on Fannin where the HCC is now? Iwould like to know as much about the old schools in Houston as possible, but I might have to break that into seperate threads.

Y'all are great, I appreciate the information.

[isuredid]

I drove by the school on my way to lunch. It looks a lot like my old Junior High, Jackson, which was built around the same time. I was pleased to see that the Congregation Beth Jacob Synagogue building was still standing across the street

Edited January 12, 2007 by isuredid

[isuredid]

Thanks for the information about the school, I have seen it for a long time of 288, it is beautiful. TBird said the students feed into SanJacHS. Is that the building on Fannin where the HCC is now? Iwould like to know as much about the old schools in Houston as possible, but I might have to break that into seperate threads.

Y'all are great, I appreciate the information.

There is already a similar thread to what you are proposing...here is an external link to some photos and info I put together on old Houston/Harris County Schools

Old Houston and Harris County Schools

Edited January 12, 2007 by isuredid

[isuredid]

From "Wave of the Gulf"

Edited January 16, 2007 by isuredid

[mwkellner]

From "Wave of the Gulf"

I will wait a couple of days to see what you posted from "wave of the gulf". The sanborn maps that you posted in this post showed up about three days later. I don't know why. ISureDid, I really appreciate you (and others) sharing you knowledge with me. Thanks again.

[isuredid]

I used to see a gate with "China Grove" on it when going down 288 below Rosharon. Does anyone know if that gate is still there. I haven't passed that way in a while.

[isuredid]

I decided to answer my own question. The gate was still there, but it looked like they had already turned part of the plantation into another "Master Planned Community". It is a very nice piece of land and, in my opinion, should stay as it is.

ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON

February 2, 1801 - April 6, 1862

KENTUCKY NATIVE ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON GRADUATED

FROM THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT IN 1826.

HE WAS ASSIGNED TO POSTS IN NEW YORK AND MISSOURI

AND SERVED IN THE BLACK HAWK WAR IN 1832. HE RESIGNED

HIS COMMISSION IN 1834 TO RETURN TO KENTUCKY TO CARE

FOR HIS DYING WIFE.

JOHNSTON CAME TO TEXAS IN JULY 1836 AND ENLISTED IN THE

REPUBLIC ARMY. A MONTH LATER HE WAS APPOINTED

ADJUTANT GENERAL AND IN JANURARY 1837 BECAME SENIOR

BRIGADIER GENERAL IN COMMAND OF THE ARMY. HE WAS

APPOINTED SECRETARY OF WAR BY PRESIDENT MIRABEAU B.

LAMAR IN DECEMBER 1838.

IN 1840 JOHNSTON RETURNED TO KENTUCKY WHERE HE

MARRIED ELIZA GRIFFIN IN 1843. THEY SETTLED AT CHINA

GROVE, JOHNSTON'S LARGE PLANTATION AT THIS SITE AND

CONTINUED TO LIVE HERE UNTIL 1849.

DURING THE MEXICAN WARD JOHNSTON COMMANDED A

COMPANY OF TEXAS VOLUNTEERS. LATER AS A COLONEL IN THE

U.S. ARMY HE SERVED ON THE TEXAS FRONTIER AND IN THE

WEST. AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR HE RESIGNED

AND WAS APPOINTED A CONFEDERATE GENERAL BY PRESIDENT

JEFFERSON DAVIS. JOHNSTON WAS KILLED AT THE BATTLE OF

SHILOH IN 1862 AND WAS BURIED IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1867.

HE WAS REINTERRED IN THE STATE CEMETERY IN AUSTIN.

Edited January 20, 2007 by isuredid

[brucesw]

It was a lovely day for a sightseeing and picture taking tour, wasn't it? You got a better picture of the gate than I did; I thought I remembered a slightly ornate, possibly wrought iron gate, but I haven't been down 521 in years. That one surely isn't that old.

With all the development along 521, sooner or later there'll be a China Grove Estates or China Grove Plantation.

Edited January 21, 2007 by brucesw

[isuredid]

It was a lovely day for a sightseeing and picture taking tour, wasn't it? You got a better picture of the gate than I did; I thought I remembered a slightly ornate, possibly wrought iron gate, but I haven't been down 521 in years. That one surely isn't that old.

With all the development along 521, sooner or later there'll be a China Grove Estates or China Grove Plantation.

The gate is the same as what I remember from the late 1960s. I used to ride or drive to Surfside or Quintana a couple times a week along that road in the summers. I don't remember the gate looking any different then, so it is hard to guess when it was originally installed. "Wave of the Gulf" by Jessa A. Ziegler mentions that granite marker and that book was published in 1938. My guess for the granite marker is that it was installed in the 1930s when recreational driving became popular.

[Vertigo58]

This is really bizarre and maybe coincidental.

There is a very similar building on Wayside and Harrisburg. Looks almost exactly as this one. Maybe made in same era or same builder? I just love these raised structures. Imagine the wonderful views and breezes that pass through. Could be they were high up for that very reason. Air conditoning was a luxury then.

Also, I always remember seeing that same China Grove gate too. We assumed its where the Doobie Brothers got the name for that old song.

Edited May 1, 2008 by Vertigo58

[crunchtastic]

Also, I always remember seeing that same China Grove gate too. We assumed its where the Doobie Brothers got the name for that old song.

This is a neat thread--I hadn't noticed it before. My dad told me that the Doobies song was about the town of China Grove just east of San Antonio--the only China Grove I knew about until now.

[Vertigo58]

This is a neat thread--I hadn't noticed it before. My dad told me that the Doobies song was about the town of China Grove just east of San Antonio--the only China Grove I knew about until now.

YES! That is correct!

In the lyric's it does say "down around San Antone"... (electric guitar)... strum, strum.