Riverside Terrace, Houston

History

Jewish families moved to Riverside Terrace in the 1930s since they were not allowed to settle in River Oaks. Allison Wollam of the Houston Business Journal stated that, at one point, Riverside Terrace "was once on the same affluent level as the swanky River Oaks area." During that period the neighborhood hosted the houses of the prominent Weingarten, Finger, and McGregor families.

In 1952, a wealthy African-American cattleman named Jack Caesar moved to the neighborhood. He stayed despite the fact that a bomb detonated on his front porch. In 1959, land clearance began for the construction of the new Texas State Highway 288 freeway, destroying several Riverside Terrace houses. Although Caesar's home was in the path of the freeway, it was moved to another location south of Houston. Many White families left Riverside Terrace and settled in suburbs. In the 1960s some Whites who wanted the neighborhood to stabilize as an integrated neighborhood posted signs stating "This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale." Societal pressure and pressure from real estate agents who wanted to sell expensive homes to Black families pressed upon the remaining White and Jewish homeowners. In the spring of 1963 the South Macgregor Promotion Committee formed. It says that it placed the "not for sale" not because it was against African Americans moving in, but because it wanted to prevent block busting. African-American and civil rights figures backed the "not for sale" campaign. In 1963 the community had 175 African American families. They backed the campaign since they believed it would prevent the community from becoming a ghetto. Housing prices declined steadily around the 1960s. The South Macgregor group, which had no black members in 1963, and African-American leaders met and decided that a ratio of between 65-85% White and 15-35% Black would be beneficial to members of both racial groups.

Wealthy African-American doctors, lawyers, politicians, and university professors moved into Riverside Terrace. As time progressed foreclosure and neglect lead to neglect of several mansions. Jon Schwartz, creator of the 1985 documentary, This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale, a film documenting Riverside Terrace, states that the neighborhood stabilized after 1970.

Houstonia magazine stated that Riverside Terrace began to recover in the 1990s. Riverside Terrace house sales did not follow the general housing slump in the United States of the late 2000s. The late 2000s has also seen gay couples and families moving into Riverside Terrace to improve formerly derelict mansions, though many houses remained neglected and abandoned. Recent improvements include re-development of hike and bike trails along Braes Bayou, aesthetic improvements to Almeda Road (including brick pavement and decorative street lighting), as well as renovation and modernization of some notable older homes.

Composition

Riverside Terrace is in proximity to the intersection of South MacGregor Way and Texas State Highway 288. It is east of the Texas Medical Center and Hermann Park, and south of Interstate 45 (Gulf Freeway). Riverside Terrace is about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Downtown Houston. Shad Bogany of Bogany Properties said in 2002 that "What sells Riverside Terrace is strictly location. You're close to everything - the Medical Center, Astrodome, museums, universities."

Riverside Terrace is bounded by Scott Street, North MacGregor, Almeda Road, and Wheeler Street. It has 1,315 houses, which range from 2,000 square feet (190 m²) to 6,000 square feet (560 m²). Many houses use the Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern architectural styles. Many styles of houses in Riverside Terrace include those developed by John Chase, John Staub, and Frank Lloyd Wright. In 2002 Katherine Feser of the Houston Chronicle said "Today, the homes in Riverside Terrace are as diverse as the characters that shaped its history." As of 2002 many houses have burglar bars. Feser said in 2002 that "[m]any homes have been refurbished but chipping paint blemishes several of the beautiful old brick homes." Lot sizes range up to 2 acres (0.81 ha), while some lots are small. As of 2002 Riverside Terrace houses were priced from $30,000 ($40,000 in today's money) to $1 million ($1.3 million in today's money). In 2004 some properties in Riverside Terrace sold for below $200,000 ($250,000 in current money), but real estate listings had scarcity. William Tadlock, a real estate agent with Swilley Hudson of Coldwell Banker, said "[p]eople are realizing the proximity to downtown and the Medical Center and are considering moving over there."

Residents of Riverside Terrace include athletes, politicians, teachers, and other professionals. Sheila Jackson Lee, a U.S. congressperson, said that Riverside Terrace has "a real potpourri of people that like inner city living in a beautiful neighborhood." She added that Riverside Terrace is "a great neighborhood for children."

Government and infrastructure

In the 1991 Mayor of Houston election most Riverside Terrace voters voted for Sylvester Turner; the voter turnout for Riverside Terrace was almost 50 percent.

Houston City Council District D covers Riverside Terrace. As of 2008 Wanda Adams represents the district.

Harris County Hospital District operates the Quentin Mease Community Hospital within Riverside Terrace.

The Parkwood Drive Civic Club (PDCC), established in 1924, serves a community in the Riverside Terrace area.

Primary and secondary schools

As of 2002 many residents attend private schools and magnet programs in public schools.

Public schools

The neighborhood is zoned to schools in the Houston Independent School District. The community is within Trustee District IV, represented by Paula M. Harris as of 2009.

Zoned elementary schools serving portions of Riverside Terrace include Lockhart in Riverside Terrace, MacGregor outside of Riverside Terrace, and Poe outside of Riverside Terrace. All area residents are zoned to Cullen Middle School, Most residents are zoned to Yates High School in the Third Ward, while some are zoned to Lamar High School in Upper Kirby.

Residents were previously zoned to Ryan Middle School.

Turner, a school which was in Riverside Terrace, closed in 2009 and was consolidated into Lockhart. By Spring 2011 a new campus will be built on the Turner site.

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Houston operates area Roman Catholic private schools. St. Mary of the Purification School (Kindergarten through grade 5) and St. Peter the Apostle Middle School (grades 6 through 8), are in the area.

St. Mary, located in the Riverside Terrace area, opened in a temporary building on September 8, 1930. The building was blessed on October 27. The Sisters of Dominic operated the school until it closed in 1967. The school reopened in 1980 as a Montessori school.

Public libraries

The Third Ward is served by the Houston Public Library Smith Neighborhood Library at 3624 Scott Street.

Parks and recreation

MacGregor Park is located in the area.

Notable residents