Acres Homes, Houston, Texas
Encyclopedia
Acres Homes is a 9 square mile community in northwest Houston
, Texas
, United States
north of the 610 loop
. Nicknamed the 44, Acres Homes is located in the northwest portion of the city, the area is loosely bound by Pinemont Drive to the south, North Shepherd Drive to the East, Gulf Bank to the north, and Antoine to the west.
, when Houston landowners began selling homesites in the area that were large enough to contain small gardens and raise chickens or farm animals. These large areas were often divided by the acre and not by the plot, hence the name "Acres Homes". The farm capabilities of the home sites attracted many rural settlers, who dug their own wells, and built small, sanitary houses. Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle
said that Acres Homes was originally marketed as "a bit of genteel country with quick and easy access to the city." The community was also touted as a place where African American
s could own houses and land instead of being in more dense urban areas. At one time it was the largest unincorporated
African-American community in the Southeastern United States
.
As time went on, the conditions began declining due to several decades of neglect. As the rural settlers moved out of their dilapidated homes, realtors began marketing the area, largely to African Americans, as a suburban area which was not far from the city. In reality, it was a heavily wooded, sparsely settled slum without adequate transportation or educational facilities. The City of Houston annexed about 725 acres (293.4 ha) of land in the Acres Homes area in 1967. In 1974 the city annexed another 1469 acres (594.5 ha) of Acres Homes territory. Mack said that the appeal of Acres Homes ended around the 1970s.
Before it was annexed by the city of Houston, Acres Homes was considered to be the largest unincorporated African American
community in the Southern United States
. The area's location close to Garden Oaks
- a primarily working-class white neighborhood in the 1960s and 1970s- birthed racial tensions in north Houston during the racial equality movement of the time. The community now includes a combination of large areas of pine forests with a scattering of homes: small tract homes built in standard suburban subdivisions, and large comfortable homes on well-maintained wooded lots. There is little commercial or industrial development. It covers 5733 acres (23.2 km²).
On August 30, 2007, the Houston Chronicle
published an article about a syphilis
outbreak in Houston. Marlene McNeese-Ward, the Houston Health Department chief of HIV
/STD
and Viral Hepatitis
Prevention, stated "We're really looking at Acres Homes especially, and Sunnyside
, but there's not too many ZIP codes... where we're not seeing any (cases)."
The area is a well known high crime area, with about 13 homicides reported in 2008.
In 2002 Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle
said "Fairly or not, Acres Homes has become synonymous with "urban blight" in Houston" and that Acres Homes "can best be described as a bit schizophrenic." As of 2002 the community had many shotgun house
s; many residents rent them from absentee landlords. Many acres of land in the community are empty. Most areas of the community have small wood frame houses described by Mack as "ramshackle," while some areas have large houses described by Mack as "comfortable." In 2002, many of the formerly large properties had been sectioned off, and horse
s were commonplace in the neighborhood. Most areas in Acres Homes had no curbs, no sidewalks, and no storm drains. Deep ditches lined many of the streets. The area does not have a lot of commercial or industrial development. As of 2008 Acres Homes has the largest concentration of closed landfills in Houston, including permitted and unpermitted ones.
, in the 1920s most of the residents had gardens in their yards and raised chickens and hogs. Ford described Acres Homes as "like it was the country" and "a place where people had to help each other."
In rap media Acres Homes is nicknamed the "44," pronounced "fo-fo." The name originates from the .44 Magnum
and from the #44 Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
(METRO) line that goes through Acres Homes.
District B.
The area is served by the Houston Police Department
's North Division http://www.houstontx.gov/police/pdfs/hpd_beat_map.pdf.
The Houston Fire Department
operates Station 67 Acres Homes, a part of Fire District 4. The station was built in 1971.
The city operates the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center at 6719 West Montgomery Road. The city multi-service centers provide several services such as child care, programs for elderly residents, and rental space.
Acres Homes is served by many METRO bus routes, most notably bus route #44 ("Acres Homes Limited").
After the city annexed portions of Acres Homes beginning in 1971, it began installing sewer and water lines. Some sparsely developed areas and some surrounding areas remained without city services; private companies install services in the surrounding areas.
In February 2000 the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood was officially recognized. The boundaries of the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood are Texas State Highway 249, Pinemont, North Shepherd, and the White Oak Bayou
. Because the Acres Homes Citizens Council already existed, much of the groundwork for the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood had already been established before its formation. In 2000 Michael Thibodeaux, the president of the super neighborhood, said that the citizens council "is pretty much almost the super neighborhood."
Beulah Shephard, described by Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle
as the "matriarch" of Acres Homes, said in 2002 that the Harris County, which provided services to residents before the Houston annexation, provided better services than the city.
As of 2002 Acres Homes has 16 civic associations that serve portions of the community.
operates the Acres Home Health Center and the Acres Home Eligibility Center in Acres Homes.
In 1997 37% of the residents had an average annual household income below $15,000.
(HISD). The HISD portion is divided by Highland Heights, Wesley, and Osborne Elementary schools. All HISD Acres Homes residents are zoned to Williams Middle School in Acres Homes. All HISD area residents are served by Booker T. Washington High School
in the Independence Heights community. Prior to Houston ISD's 2005 reorganization, the Acres homes Administrative Division, headquartered in Wesley Elementary School, helped manage the area elementary and middle schools.
In February 2010 HISD opened the High School Ahead Academy (HSAA) in Acres Homes. It is a school which allows over-age middle school students to rapidly accelerate through school so they can catch up. It is located in the former Hohl Elementary School campus.
.
A portion of the Aldine ISD section of Acres Homes is zoned to Carver High School, while the other portion is served by Eisenhower High School.
In 1977 the Federal Government of the United States
placed on Aldine ISD, asking it to desegregate several majority Black schools. Enacted in 1978, the plan required Aldine ISD to redraw the attendance boundaries of its schools so that no more than 30% of the students of each school were African-American. As a result, three schools in Acres Homes became 5-6 grade schools. Carver High School was no longer a zoned school and became a magnet school.
and is served by Klein Forest High School
.
Lone Star College System (formerly the North Harris Montgomery Community College District) serves the Aldine ISD portion. In 1972 residents of Aldine ISD and two other K-12 school districts voted to create the North Harris County College. The community college district began operations in the northern hemisphere fall of 1973.
The Carver Center of the Lone Star College–North Harris is located in Acres Homes.
.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
north of the 610 loop
Interstate 610 (Texas)
Interstate 610 is a freeway that forms a forty-two-mile loop around the downtown sector of city of Houston, Texas. Interstate 610, colloquially known as "The Loop", "Loop 610", "The 610 Loop", or just "610", traditionally marks the border between the inner city of Houston and its surrounding areas...
. Nicknamed the 44, Acres Homes is located in the northwest portion of the city, the area is loosely bound by Pinemont Drive to the south, North Shepherd Drive to the East, Gulf Bank to the north, and Antoine to the west.
History
Acres Homes was established during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when Houston landowners began selling homesites in the area that were large enough to contain small gardens and raise chickens or farm animals. These large areas were often divided by the acre and not by the plot, hence the name "Acres Homes". The farm capabilities of the home sites attracted many rural settlers, who dug their own wells, and built small, sanitary houses. Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
said that Acres Homes was originally marketed as "a bit of genteel country with quick and easy access to the city." The community was also touted as a place where African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s could own houses and land instead of being in more dense urban areas. At one time it was the largest unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
African-American community in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
As time went on, the conditions began declining due to several decades of neglect. As the rural settlers moved out of their dilapidated homes, realtors began marketing the area, largely to African Americans, as a suburban area which was not far from the city. In reality, it was a heavily wooded, sparsely settled slum without adequate transportation or educational facilities. The City of Houston annexed about 725 acres (293.4 ha) of land in the Acres Homes area in 1967. In 1974 the city annexed another 1469 acres (594.5 ha) of Acres Homes territory. Mack said that the appeal of Acres Homes ended around the 1970s.
Before it was annexed by the city of Houston, Acres Homes was considered to be the largest unincorporated African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. The area's location close to Garden Oaks
Garden Oaks, Houston, Texas
Garden Oaks is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas . The neighborhood, located north of Houston Heights, was established in 1937 by Edward L. Crain....
- a primarily working-class white neighborhood in the 1960s and 1970s- birthed racial tensions in north Houston during the racial equality movement of the time. The community now includes a combination of large areas of pine forests with a scattering of homes: small tract homes built in standard suburban subdivisions, and large comfortable homes on well-maintained wooded lots. There is little commercial or industrial development. It covers 5733 acres (23.2 km²).
On August 30, 2007, the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
published an article about a syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
outbreak in Houston. Marlene McNeese-Ward, the Houston Health Department chief of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/STD
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
and Viral Hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
Prevention, stated "We're really looking at Acres Homes especially, and Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Houston, Texas
Sunnyside is a community in southern Houston, Texas, United States, south of Downtown Houston.Sunnyside is outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8 off State Highway 288 south of Downtown Houston and is predominantly African American...
, but there's not too many ZIP codes... where we're not seeing any (cases)."
The area is a well known high crime area, with about 13 homicides reported in 2008.
Cityscape
The community has 9 square mile of land. Acres Homes had 8,548 housing units in 2002; 31% were rental units. Rafael Longoria and Susan Rogers of the Rice Design Alliance said that the layout of Acres Homes could be described as "rurban," a word coined in 1918 which describes an area with a mix of urban and rural characteristics. Undeveloped land permeates Acres Homes in a checkerboard-like pattern.In 2002 Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
said "Fairly or not, Acres Homes has become synonymous with "urban blight" in Houston" and that Acres Homes "can best be described as a bit schizophrenic." As of 2002 the community had many shotgun house
Shotgun house
The shotgun house is a narrow rectangular domestic residence, usually no more than 12 feet wide, with doors at each end. It was the most popular style of house in the Southern United States from the end of the American Civil War , through the 1920s. Alternate names include shotgun shack,...
s; many residents rent them from absentee landlords. Many acres of land in the community are empty. Most areas of the community have small wood frame houses described by Mack as "ramshackle," while some areas have large houses described by Mack as "comfortable." In 2002, many of the formerly large properties had been sectioned off, and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s were commonplace in the neighborhood. Most areas in Acres Homes had no curbs, no sidewalks, and no storm drains. Deep ditches lined many of the streets. The area does not have a lot of commercial or industrial development. As of 2008 Acres Homes has the largest concentration of closed landfills in Houston, including permitted and unpermitted ones.
Culture
According to Sammie Mae Ford, a resident of Acres Homes quoted in the Houston ChronicleHouston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, in the 1920s most of the residents had gardens in their yards and raised chickens and hogs. Ford described Acres Homes as "like it was the country" and "a place where people had to help each other."
In rap media Acres Homes is nicknamed the "44," pronounced "fo-fo." The name originates from the .44 Magnum
.44 Magnum
The .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
and from the #44 Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston . It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County...
(METRO) line that goes through Acres Homes.
Local government
Acres Homes is in Houston City CouncilHouston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
District B.
The area is served by the Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
's North Division http://www.houstontx.gov/police/pdfs/hpd_beat_map.pdf.
The Houston Fire Department
Houston Fire Department
City of Houston Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States...
operates Station 67 Acres Homes, a part of Fire District 4. The station was built in 1971.
The city operates the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center at 6719 West Montgomery Road. The city multi-service centers provide several services such as child care, programs for elderly residents, and rental space.
Acres Homes is served by many METRO bus routes, most notably bus route #44 ("Acres Homes Limited").
After the city annexed portions of Acres Homes beginning in 1971, it began installing sewer and water lines. Some sparsely developed areas and some surrounding areas remained without city services; private companies install services in the surrounding areas.
In February 2000 the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood was officially recognized. The boundaries of the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood are Texas State Highway 249, Pinemont, North Shepherd, and the White Oak Bayou
White Oak Bayou
White Oak Bayou is one of the several waterways that give Houston, Texas, USA, its popular nickname, "The Bayou City." The Bayou originates northwest of FM 1960, near Highway 6 and U.S...
. Because the Acres Homes Citizens Council already existed, much of the groundwork for the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood had already been established before its formation. In 2000 Michael Thibodeaux, the president of the super neighborhood, said that the citizens council "is pretty much almost the super neighborhood."
Beulah Shephard, described by Kristen Mack of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
as the "matriarch" of Acres Homes, said in 2002 that the Harris County, which provided services to residents before the Houston annexation, provided better services than the city.
As of 2002 Acres Homes has 16 civic associations that serve portions of the community.
County representation
The Harris County Hospital DistrictHarris County Hospital District
The Harris County Hospital District is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, including the city of Houston...
operates the Acres Home Health Center and the Acres Home Eligibility Center in Acres Homes.
Demographics
According to the 2000 census, the current population of Acres Homes Super Neighborhood #6 is 23,512.| Race and Hispanic origin | Acres Homes Data | % of Area Pop. | Houston City Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian (non-Hispanic) | 14 | -% | 3,234 |
| Asian (non-Hispanic) | 74 | 0.3% | 102,706 |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 20,312 | 86.4% | 487,851 |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 2,432 | 10.3% | 730,865 |
| Native Hawaiian (non-Hispanic) | - | -% | 680 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 523 | 2.2% | 601,851 |
| Two or More (non-Hispanic) | 146 | 0.6% | 23,830 |
| Other (non-Hispanic) | 10 | -% | 2,614 |
| Age Group | Acres Homes Data | % of Area Pop. | Houston City Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 Years | 1,794 | 7.6% | 160,797 |
| 5 - 17 Years | 5,337 | 22.7% | 375,861 |
| 18 - 65 Years | 13,318 | 56.6% | 1,252,908 |
| 65 and Over | 3,023 | 12.8% | 164,065 |
In 1997 37% of the residents had an average annual household income below $15,000.
Primary and secondary schools
Houston Independent School District
The eastern part of the community is located in the Houston Independent School DistrictHouston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School District is the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and insular municipalities...
(HISD). The HISD portion is divided by Highland Heights, Wesley, and Osborne Elementary schools. All HISD Acres Homes residents are zoned to Williams Middle School in Acres Homes. All HISD area residents are served by Booker T. Washington High School
Booker T. Washington High School (Houston)
Booker T. Washington High School is a secondary school located at 119 East 39th Street in Houston, Texas with a zip code of 77018.Booker T. Washington, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Booker T...
in the Independence Heights community. Prior to Houston ISD's 2005 reorganization, the Acres homes Administrative Division, headquartered in Wesley Elementary School, helped manage the area elementary and middle schools.
In February 2010 HISD opened the High School Ahead Academy (HSAA) in Acres Homes. It is a school which allows over-age middle school students to rapidly accelerate through school so they can catch up. It is located in the former Hohl Elementary School campus.
Aldine Independent School District
The western part of Acres Homes is in the Aldine Independent School DistrictAldine Independent School District
Aldine Independent School District is a school district based in an unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. It serves portions of Houston and unincorporated Harris County. AISD is part of the taxation base for the Lone Star College System. Dr...
.
A portion of the Aldine ISD section of Acres Homes is zoned to Carver High School, while the other portion is served by Eisenhower High School.
In 1977 the Federal Government of the United States
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
placed on Aldine ISD, asking it to desegregate several majority Black schools. Enacted in 1978, the plan required Aldine ISD to redraw the attendance boundaries of its schools so that no more than 30% of the students of each school were African-American. As a result, three schools in Acres Homes became 5-6 grade schools. Carver High School was no longer a zoned school and became a magnet school.
Klein Independent School District
A small portion of the northern part of Acres Homes is within the Klein Independent School DistrictKlein Independent School District
Klein Independent School District is a school district that covers of land in Harris County, Texas, United States. Almost all of the territory is unincorporated; a small portion of Houston is within the district's limits. 41,800 students attend Klein ISD Schools for the 2007-08 school year. Klein...
and is served by Klein Forest High School
Klein Forest High School
Klein Forest High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States and is the second senior high school opened in Klein Independent School District. Klein Forest serves grades 9 through 12. The school has a Houston, Texas mailing address...
.
Community colleges
The Houston Community College serves the portions in Houston ISD.Lone Star College System (formerly the North Harris Montgomery Community College District) serves the Aldine ISD portion. In 1972 residents of Aldine ISD and two other K-12 school districts voted to create the North Harris County College. The community college district began operations in the northern hemisphere fall of 1973.
The Carver Center of the Lone Star College–North Harris is located in Acres Homes.
Public libraries
The area is served by the Acres Homes Neighborhood Library of the Houston Public LibraryHouston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. The library system has its headquarters in the Marston Building in Neartown Houston.-History:It can trace its founding to the Houston Lyceum in 1854...
.