The six wards of Houston

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For the wards in New Orleans, see Wards of New Orleans.

When the city of Houston was founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1837, its founders—John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen—divided it into political geographic districts called "wards." The ward system, a precursor to today's City Council districts, was a common political tool of the early 19th century—it is still used in Chicago.

In 1839, Houston's civic leaders divided the city into four wards. The Fifth Ward was added in 1866 to accommodate the city's growth and the Sixth Ward a decade or so later. The idea was not to have an equal number of residents in each. Instead, the lines were drawn along natural boundaries: Buffalo Bayou, Main Street, and Congress Street.

Nowadays, the wards are a social and cultural phenomenon, only loosely geographically defined and with no bearing on how civic leaders are elected.

Contents 1 First Ward 2 Second Ward 3 Third Ward 4 Fourth Ward 5 Fifth Ward 6 Sixth Ward 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] First Ward

The First Ward, which is located inside the 610 Loop, is one of the city's historic wards. It was originally the center of the business district for the city, and was strategically located at the intersection of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, near an area known as Allen's Landing. It was one of the original four wards in Houston when it was created in 1840. It was defined as all area within the city limits of Houston (which was much smaller at the time) north of Congress Street and west of Main Street[1].

In later years, all land in the First Ward to the north and east of White Oak Bayou and Little White Oak Bayou was split off to create part of the Fifth Ward. Today, the area is part of the Historic District along Buffalo Bayou, with many of the oldest buildings in Houston. The University of Houston–Downtown is also located in this area. It is considered to be the most affluent out of all the wards today.

[edit] Second Ward

The Second Ward (better known as the East End) is a historical political district ward in Houston, Texas. It was one of the four original wards of the city in the nineteenth century. The community known as the Second Ward today is roughly bounded by Buffalo Bayou to the north, Lockwood Avenue to the east, and railroad tracks to the south and west, although the City of Houston's "Super Neighborhood" program includes a section east of Lockwood [2].

The Second Ward today has mainly Hispanic residents, primarily Mexican Americans who moved into the area following World War II and the subsequent white flight from the area. Earlier in the twentieth century the area had a reputation as a well-to-do suburb, and the neighborhood still has many large houses from this time, mixed with newer and smaller houses. The northern end of the community is largely industrial, leading to massive warehouse complexes along the Bayou. There are also many industrial buildings, some of which have found new life as lofts, on the western edge of the neighborhood nearest to Downtown and Minute Maid Park.

Many buildings in the community, including the local high school, Stephen F. Austin High School, were constructed in the 1920s and bear the art deco style. While perceived as rundown and neglected in the 1970s and 1980s, recent years have seen major civic improvements including new street lights and pavement, as well as the beginnings of gentrification as professionals and others move from both the far-flung suburbs and other, more expensive Inner Loop neighborhoods. The area attracts artistic talent through venues such as Talento Bilingüe de Houston, and residents of all ages frequent the Ripley House Community Center.

The Second Ward is in the early stages of revitalization, drawing new residents with its proximity to downtown.

The Second Ward is in Texas's 18th congressional district [3]. Its current Representative is Sheila Jackson Lee.

Area students attend schools in the Houston Independent School District, including Jackson Middle School and Austin High School.

The Our Lady of Guadalupe School, a Kindergarten through 8 Roman Catholic school that is a part of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, is in the Second Ward area [4].

The Second Ward is served by the Houston Public Library Flores Branch [5].

The Houston Police Department's South Central Patrol Division [6] serves the neighborhood.

[edit] Third Ward

The Third Ward, which is located inside the 610 Loop, is one of the city's historic wards. The ward became the center of Houston's African American community. Most of 3rd Ward is middle to upper class. Some portions of the 3rd Ward are working class, working poor, and are deeply impoverished; these areas are known for high crime and high unemployment rates, and for being the most desperate ghettos of Houston. Religious and community groups are strong and help hold the ward together.

The Third Ward is in Texas's 18th congressional district [7]. Its current Representative is Sheila Jackson Lee.

The Greater Third Ward area is home to two universities: the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.

Area students attend schools in the Houston Independent School District, including Ryan Middle School and Yates High School.

Contemporary Learning Center is west of the third ward on the other side of State Highway 288.

Two Roman Catholic schools, St. Mary of the Purification School (Kindergarten through grade 5 [8]) and St. Peter the Apostle Middle School (grades 6 through 8 [9]), are in the area.

The Third Ward is served by the Houston Public Library Smith Branch [10].

The Quentin Mease Community Hospital, operated by the Harris County Hospital District, is located in the Third Ward [11].

The Houston Police Department's South Central Patrol Division [12] serves the neighborhood.

Emancipation Park is located at 3018 Dowling [13].

[edit] Fourth Ward

The Fourth Ward, which is located inside the 610 Loop, is one of the city's historic wards. The historical definition of the Fourth Ward, when it was created in 1840[14] is all parts within the city limits of Houston (at the time) south of Congress Street and west of Main Street. The area was the site of Freedman's Town, composed of recently freed slaves. Construction of the Pierce Elevated through the middle of the area divided the area and led to deterioration of the area. A portion of the Fourth Ward to the southwest of Interstate 45 is now known as Midtown and redevelopment of the area is underway. The area of the historic Fourth Ward inside Downtown is now filled with many skyscrapers, including Enron Tower, 1500 Louisiana, and the Continental Tower.

The Fourth Ward is in Texas's 7th congressional district [15].

Area students attend schools in the Houston Independent School District, including Gregory-Lincoln Education Center and Reagan High School.

The Houston Police Department's Central Patrol Division [16] serves the neighborhood.

[edit] Fifth Ward

The Fifth Ward is a historical political district ward of Houston, Texas north and east of downtown Houston. The Fifth Ward was created partly from two other wards, the First Ward, which ceded the area to the north and east of White Oak Bayou and Little White Oak Bayou, and the Second Ward, which ceded all land within the Houston city limits to the north of Buffalo Bayou.

After the U.S. Civil War, newly freed slaves (freemen) began settling in the sparsely settled area. In 1866, it became the Fifth Ward and an alderman from the ward was elected to Houston's City Council. By the mid-1880s, it was virtually all black, home to working class people who made their livings in Houston's eastside ship channel and industrial areas or as domestics for wealthy Houstonians. Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, founded in 1865 by a former slave, is the oldest church in the ward. Five other churches are over a hundred years old. Also home to the famous "Island of Hope (Anderson Memorial Temple) COGIC" the oldest Pentecostal church in Fifth Ward. Over the years it had been home to the city's minority and immigrant population. Although it has been a mostly black area, Latinos, Filipino Americans, Pakistanis, and Italian Catholics also moved there.

Once a strong community with a thriving business district, it turned into a notorious ghetto with under-served low performing schools, rampant drug activity, widespread poverty, and a declining population as residents seeking better lives left. The Fifth Ward is said to be on the same level as South Los Angeles or the West or Southsides of Chicago in terms of decay and violence. Fifth Ward is currently located in District B in the City of Houston; it was once known for the record number of derelict and abandoned buildings, most of which were recently demolished. The Halliburton subsidiary KBR is headquartered in the Fifth Ward off Clinton Street.

The community produced members of Congress Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, musicians like Arnett Cobb, Milton Larkin, Illinois Jacquet, and The Geto Boys, and athletes like George Foreman.

The Fifth Ward is in Texas's 18th congressional district [17]. Its current Representative is Sheila Jackson Lee.

Area students attend schools in the Houston Independent School District, including E.O. Smith Education Center and Wheatley High School.

A Kindergarten through 8 Roman Catholic school called Our Mother of Mercy School is in the area [18].

The Fifth Ward is served by the Houston Public Library Fifth Ward Branch [19].

The Houston Fire Department operates Station 19 Fifth Ward on 1811 Gregg Street.

The Houston Police Department's Northeast Patrol Division [20] serves the neighborhood.

Fictional hard-boiled "detective" Easy Rawlins was raised in Houston's "notorius" Fifth Ward, and books by author Walter Mosley describe how Rawlins was shaped by that upbringing.

[edit] Sixth Ward

The existing Old Sixth Ward area (loosely bound by Memorial Drive, Houston Avenue, Washington Avenue and Glenwood Cemetery) is the oldest intact neighborhood in Houston, with many homes from the late 1800s. The area is a Municipal Historic District, and Nationally recognized Historic District, but Houston's lax preservation laws [21], allowing demolition of most historic properties after a 90-day wait, may eventually eliminate this historic area. Many homes considered teardowns have been lovingly restored [22]. The Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association is working to save the historic housing stock for generations of Houstonians to come.

Old Sixth Ward housing stock evidences five main architectural styles:

Gulf Coast Colonial/Greek Revival Style (1850-1890). These houses are usually five bay cottages with a full-length front porch tucked in under the main roof line. This style of house is predominantly found in southern Louisiana and coastal Texas. The style represents an adaptation of Greek Revival architecture popular in the northeast to the gulf coast climate.

Folk Victorian Style (1870-1910). These houses represent a vernacular attempt to adapt Victorian style architecture to the gulf coast climate. The houses featured locally made porch posts and gingerbread. In many cases the Folk Victorian house is actually a Gulf Coast Colonial cottage draped or altered with later Victorian elements.

Queen Anne Style (1880-1910). These houses are noted for their prominent gables, variety of shingle treatments, ornate factory-made millwork, abundance of stained-glass windows, and tall roof lines. These houses reflect a national trend in architecture that took the country by storm at the end of the 19th century.

Classical Revival Style (1895-1920). These houses are characterized by simple Greek columns, restrained exterior ornament, and wide roof overhangs. The period during which they were built is marked by the decline of Victorian extravagance and a new interest in the antiquities of Greece and Rome.

Bungalow Style (1900-1940). These houses reflect a new utilitarian trend in architecture. Bungalows are noted for their prominent porches, their lack of foyers, and their perfectly proportioned rooms.

The "Old Sixth Ward" is in Texas's 18th congressional district [23]. Its current Representative is Sheila Jackson Lee.

The "Old Sixth Ward" is zoned to Houston ISD schools. Schools include Crockett Elementary School, Hogg Middle School, and Reagan High School.

The Houston Police Department's Central Patrol Division [24] serves the neighborhood.

The Houston Fire Department operates Station 6 Sixth Ward

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

• Pride lives on in city's six historical wards. Jeannie Kever, Houston Chronicle. February 8, 2006. Last accessed November 19, 2006.
• Where the Wards are. Houston Chronicle. September 7, 2004. Last accessed November 19, 2006.
• Super Neighborhood # 63 Second Ward. Officially Recognized Super Neighborhood Councils, City of Houston. Last accessed November 19, 2006.
• About TSU > Community > Third Ward. Texas Southern University. Last accessed November 19, 2006.
• Super Neighborhood #67 Greater Third Ward
• Fourth Ward, Houston from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Fifth Ward, Houston from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Sixth Ward, Houston from the Handbook of Texas Online
• The Old Sixth Ward

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