10 Comment

• markd November 7, 2011 at 9:50 am

  Perfectly good affordable housing…
• northside girl November 7, 2011 at 10:06 am

  What is Freedman’s town? Is that being built or coming down? Excuse my ignorance.. I just haven’t ever heard of it.
• Lost_In_Translation November 7, 2011 at 10:32 am

  How did they manage to allow knocking down 4 buildings in a historical district. Are they going to have to rebuild in the appropriate shotgun style?
• Darbymom November 7, 2011 at 11:42 am

  Freedman’s Town in the 4th ward was where freed slaves settled after the Civi War and looked for opportunity and work in Houston. Here’s a link, that may or may not come out live: http://www.isocracytx.net/hp-org/FTAbrief.html
  How do they demolish properties in a historic district? HA! Do you really have to ask?
• Old School November 7, 2011 at 11:53 am

  Freedmen’s town is not a historic district subject to the City of Houston historic preservation ordinance. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. But that provides no legal protection to any of the historic structures. The row houses on Victor are the last remaining in the district. The owners were holding on to them, trying to see whether they could sell to activists trying to preserve what little is left of the neighborhood. http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1276307240-Saving-History-in-Freedmens-Town.html
  It looks like they have, in part, failed. http://www.chron.com/life/gray/article/Gray-Last-row-houses-in-Freedmen-s-Town-face-2176251.php
  Over the years, there have been numerous plans to do something to preserve and restore the historic elements of the area. But, despite a few meaningful victories, the bulldozers have made their way with the area.
• Lost_In_Translation November 7, 2011 at 12:46 pm

  It is on the National Register of Historic Places. But that provides no legal protection to any of the historic structures. The row houses on Victor are the last remaining in the district. The owners were holding on to them, trying to see whether they could sell to activists trying to preserve what little is left of the neighborhood

  So assuming there are no historical structures left, will the City of Houston remove the historic designation? Or will hte farce continue?
• Old School November 7, 2011 at 1:16 pm

  @lost:

  There is no farce. The City has not made it a historic district. The National Register of Historic Places is part of the Federal Parks Service. Go yell at them if you want to smash what is left of Freedmen’s Town. And there are plenty of significant structures left in Freedmen’s Town despite the designs of Bob Perry and others. Unfortunately, those trying to preserve Freedmen’s Town have never been able to get together the kind of organization and backing that other historic areas have been able to. You would think that after 300 years of slavery and 100 years of segregation we could at least do something to preserve this area so our children could have a chance to learn about Houston’s history in person.
• htownproud November 7, 2011 at 2:32 pm

  thank god those dilapidated shacks are getting demolished. They are an eye sore. There is one that is being preserved behind Junction–I can’t believe it. It needs to be destroyed as well. What a blight on a part of town that is being rebuilt.
• Lost_In_Translation November 7, 2011 at 3:27 pm

  There is no farce. The City has not made it a historic district. The National Register of Historic Places is part of the Federal Parks Service. Go yell at them if you want to smash what is left of Freedmen’s Town. And there are plenty of significant structures left in Freedmen’s Town despite the designs of Bob Perry and others.

  Ahh, confusion regarding historic designations. I’m neutral in preserving or demolishing, but wondered if the city’s designation was so toothless that they couldn’t stop destruction. Apparently that wasn’t the issue. Understood.
• Hellsing November 8, 2011 at 9:39 am

  I see it’s a common fence – somebody missed a chance here. A big blorp of stucco over each house, throw some granite and stainless steel inside – BAM!! A luxury gated downsizer
  community!