Heights Neighborhood Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Houston Public Library
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| Location | 1302 Heights Blvd. Houston, Texas |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | J. M. Glover |
| Architectural style | Renaissance 2nd Renaissance Revival |
| MPS | Houston Heights MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001795 |
| Added to NRHP | May 14, 1984 |
The Heights Neighborhood Library is a public library in the Houston Heights area of Houston, Texas. It is part of the Houston Public Library (HPL) system. The library is located at 1302 Heights Boulevard.
The building has a unique pink stucco look with an Italian Renaissance style. You'll notice beautiful arches over its doors and windows. The ceilings inside are very high. The library is quite spacious, with about 14,500 square feet of room for books and activities.
In 2005, the City of Houston officially named the library a protected landmark. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1984.
Contents
Library History
The first library in the Heights area was the Baptist Temple Library. It opened in 1909. This collection of books later moved to Heights Senior High School in 1918.
Building the Current Library
In the mid-1920s, a group of trustees and the Heights Committee bought land for the current library. They spent $7,500 on the property. The building you see today first opened its doors in 1925. It was officially dedicated on March 18, 1926.
When it first opened, the library had about 7,000 square feet of space. It quickly became very popular with the community. Jimmie May Hicks, who was from Georgia, was the head librarian for many years. She worked there from 1931 to 1964. She also collected many important documents and photos about the Houston Heights area.
Changes and Renovations
In 1974, the Houston Heights Association (HHA) decided to make the library a special beautification project. From 1977 to 1980, the library got bigger. An expansion project added more space, including 3,000 square feet to the north side. The Houston Public Library felt the original building was not large enough.
During this expansion, the library temporarily moved to an unused building nearby. The new part of the library did not look like the original building. This was because of money reasons. Some people felt the new addition changed the original charm of the library.
There used to be a garden behind the library. The Heights Womans' Club created it in 1939. People could read books there. However, a community center room was built on top of this garden around the 1970s.
In 2001, the Houston Public Library thought about replacing the entire building. But the community, including the HHA, strongly disagreed. Because of their protests, the library system decided to renovate the existing building instead. This renovation started in early 2002. It made sure the library met modern standards for accessibility, like those in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Library in Film
The library building was even used in a movie! The 1974 film Sugar Hill showed the library as the "Voodoo Museum of Natural History."
- Article about the library
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Sucursal Heights para niños
