Fairchilds, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fairchilds, Texas
Village
A Fairchilds sign on FM 361 looking northwest. Bits of cotton from the 2012 harvest lie along the roadside.
Location of Fairchilds, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Fort Bend
Area
• Total	2.15 sq mi (5.57 km²)
• Land	2.14 sq mi (5.55 km²)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km²)
Elevation	79 ft (24 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	864
• Density	401.9/sq mi (155.12/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	77461
Area code(s)	979
FIPS code	48-25068
GNIS feature ID	1378280
Website	https://fairchildstx.com/

Fairchilds is a small village in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. It's part of the larger Houston metropolitan area. In 2020, about 864 people lived there.

Fairchilds is located about 4 miles northeast of Needville. You can find its center where two roads, Farm to Market Road 361 and Needville-Fairchilds Road, meet. There are a few local businesses here, like the Fairchild Farmer Co-op Gin. The community was started in 1890 by three men from Germany. It's named after a man named Fairchilds who settled in the area around 1840.

Geography
History
Population Changes
Education
Images for kids
See also

Geography

Map of Fairchilds

Fairchilds is in the southern part of Fort Bend County. It covers an area of about 2.15 square miles (5.57 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area is water.

Farm to Market Road 361 (FM 361) goes right through the middle of Fairchilds. It connects to other towns like Long Point and Pleak. Other local roads in the area often have German or Czech names. This shows the history of the people who settled there.

Two creeks flow through the area. Big Creek is a larger stream that eventually joins the Brazos River. Fairchilds Creek is smaller and flows into Big Creek.

History

Fairchilds is named after Philo Fairchilds, who moved to the area around 1840. The village itself was officially started in 1890 by Theo Aderholz, August Bede, and Charles Blohm.

In 1896, a group of Mennonites from the northern United States bought land along Big Creek. About 50 families came to live and work the land. They built roads, businesses, and even schools. They had separate schools for white and Black children.

However, the community faced big challenges. A sickness called malaria spread through the area. Then, in 1900, a huge storm known as the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 hit and destroyed most of the town. Because of these disasters, most of the Mennonites left. Only a few families stayed behind.

Fairchilds had a post office from 1912 to 1918. In 1912, a man named Louis Kneitz sold some land for a dance hall. It was called Fairchild Hall and was a local landmark until it was taken down in 1999.

Over the years, the village remained small. In 1914, it had just one general store. By 1936, there were four businesses and about 25 people. The population slowly grew, reaching 125 people by 1953. In 1990, Fairchilds had about 150 residents and a few small shops.

Population Changes

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
2000	678	—
2010	763	12.5%
2020	864	13.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census

In 2000, there were 678 people living in Fairchilds. By 2010, the population grew to 763, and in 2020, it reached 864 people.

Most households in Fairchilds are families, with many having children under 18. The average household had about three people. The median age in the village was 33 years old.

Education

Students living in Fairchilds attend schools in the Needville Independent School District. The local high school for the community is Needville High School. A small part of the community is also served by the Lamar CISD.