Acres Homes, Houston facts for kids
Acres Homes is a neighborhood in northwest Houston, Texas. This area, about 9-square-mile (23 km2) wide, is mainly bordered by the city limits and West Gulf Bank Road to the north. Pinemont Drive is to the south, North Shepherd Drive to the east, and Alabonson Drive to the west. For a long time, most people living here were African American. Acres Homes was not officially part of Houston for many years, but it joined the city in 1967.
Contents
History
Acres Homes started during World War I. At that time, landowners in Houston began selling plots of land in this area. These plots were big enough for families to have small gardens and raise animals like chickens. People often bought land by the acre, which is how the name "Acres Homes" came about.
The chance to farm attracted many people from rural areas. They dug their own wells and built simple, clean houses. A writer from the Houston Chronicle said Acres Homes was first advertised as "a bit of genteel country with quick and easy access to the city." It was also promoted as a place where African Americans could own homes and land, instead of living in crowded city areas. At one point, it was the largest community of African Americans in the Southern United States that was not officially part of a city.
Over time, the area faced challenges and conditions became difficult. As some original settlers moved away, real estate agents started selling the area to African Americans as a suburban place close to the city. However, it was often a wooded area with few people, and it lacked good transportation or schools. The popularity of Acres Homes changed around the 1970s.
Before it became part of Houston, Acres Homes was known as the largest unincorporated African American community in the Southern United States. Its location near Garden Oaks, a mostly white working-class neighborhood in the 1960s and 1970s, led to some racial tensions in north Houston during the civil rights movement. Today, Acres Homes has a mix of large pine forests and different types of homes. You can find small houses in regular neighborhoods and larger, comfortable homes on wooded lots. There are not many businesses or factories in the area. It covers about 5,733 acres (23.20 km2) of land.
Cityscape
Acres Homes covers about 9 square miles (23 km2) of land, and much of it is covered by pine forests. As of 2002, not much of the land was used for businesses or factories. In 2002, Acres Homes had 8,548 homes, and about 31% of them were rented. Most homes are smaller, often with wooden frames. There are also some larger houses on lots with many trees. Some of the smaller houses, including many shotgun houses, were not well-kept. Many of these smaller homes were owned by people who did not live there.
Experts Rafael Longoria and Susan Rogers described Acres Homes as "rurban." This word, created in 1918, means an area that has both city and country features mixed together. You can see undeveloped land spread throughout Acres Homes, like a checkerboard pattern.
In 2002, a writer from the Houston Chronicle said that Acres Homes had become known for "urban blight" in Houston. She also said the area could be described as "a bit schizophrenic," meaning it had very different parts. Many acres of land in the community are empty. In 2002, many of the once-large properties had been divided into smaller pieces. It was also common to see horses in the neighborhood. Most areas in Acres Homes did not have curbs, sidewalks, or proper drainage systems. Deep ditches were often found along the streets. As of 2008, Acres Homes had the most closed landfills in Houston, both official and unofficial ones.
Culture
According to Sammie Mae Ford, who lived in Acres Homes, most residents in the 1920s had gardens. They also raised chickens and hogs in their yards. Ford said Acres Homes felt "like it was the country" and was "a place where people had to help each other."
In rap music, Acres Homes is sometimes called the "44," pronounced "fo-fo." This name comes from the #44 METRO bus route that goes through the area.
Many residents in Acres Homes own horses. It is a common sight to see people riding horses on the main streets.
Demographics
According to the 2000 census, the population of Acres Homes Super Neighborhood #6 was 23,512 people.
| 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 |
Media
The Houston Chronicle is the main newspaper for the city.
The African-American News and Issues newspaper was started in 1996. It serves as a community newspaper for Acres Homes.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Houston Independent School District
The eastern part of Acres Homes is in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). This HISD area is served by Highland Heights, Wesley, and Osborne Elementary schools. All HISD students in Acres Homes go to Williams Middle School, which is located in Acres Homes. For high school, all HISD students in the area attend Booker T. Washington High School in the Independence Heights community.
In 2023, Highland Heights Elementary had 469 students. The school faced challenges with state ratings between 2013-2019 and again in 2022. However, in 2023, an assistant superintendent said the school was getting better.
In February 2010, HISD opened the High School Ahead Academy (HSAA) in Acres Homes. This school helps middle school students who are older than average to catch up quickly so they can move forward. It is located on the old Hohl Elementary School campus.
In the summer of 1991, the principal of Wesley Elementary, Thaddeus Lott, received a lot of attention from the media. That fall, the school gained 250 new students because parents, even some from other school districts, wanted their children to go to Wesley.
Aldine Independent School District
The western part of Acres Homes is in the Aldine Independent School District.
Some students in the Aldine ISD part of Acres Homes go to Carver High School. Other students in this area attend Eisenhower High School.
In 1977, the Federal Government of the United States asked Aldine ISD to make its schools less segregated. This plan, started in 1978, required Aldine ISD to change its school boundaries. The goal was to make sure that no more than 30% of the students at any school were African-American. As a result, three schools in Acres Homes became schools for grades 5-6. Carver High School also changed from a regular neighborhood school to a special magnet school.
Klein Independent School District
A part of northern Acres Homes is within the Klein Independent School District. Students in this area attend Klein Forest High School.
Private schools
Houston Sudbury School is a private school located in Acres Homes.
Community colleges
The Houston Community College serves the parts of Acres Homes that are in the Houston ISD area.
The Lone Star College System serves the part of Acres Homes that is in the Aldine ISD. In 1972, people living in Aldine ISD and two other school districts voted to create the North Harris County College. This community college district started teaching students in the fall of 1973.
The Victory Center, which is part of Lone Star College–North Harris, is located in Acres Homes.
Public libraries
The Acres Homes Neighborhood Library, part of the Houston Public Library, serves the area.
Notable residents
- C.N. Love, a newspaper publisher and civil rights activist, is buried at Paradise Cemetery in Acres Homes.
- Sylvester Turner, who became the Mayor of Houston in 2016, grew up in Acres Homes. He was also a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He graduated as the top student from Klein High School.
- Actress Loretta Devine grew up and went to elementary school in Acres Homes.
- Rappers Riff Raff (rapper), Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, and Slim Thug grew up or lived in Acres Homes. The singer and songwriter Johnny "Guitar" Watson also lived there.
- Carl Crawford, a professional baseball player, has a home in Acres Homes.
- Thaddeus S. Lott Sr., a well-known educator, was born and worked as a teacher in Acres Homes.
Images for kids
-
Highland Heights Elementary School
