Pleasantville, Houston facts for kids
Pleasantville is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, USA. It's mostly home to African-American families and is found inside the 610 Loop highway in eastern Houston.
Contents
History of Pleasantville
How Pleasantville Began
Pleasantville was started in 1948. Two developers, Melvin Silverman and H.M. Cohen, worked with real estate agent Judson Robinson Sr. to create it. They wanted to build homes for Jewish American and African American soldiers who had served in World War II. At that time, these groups often found it hard to buy homes because of unfair rules.
Many African American families moved here. It was one of the first places where they could legally own their own homes. People in Pleasantville were very active. They formed groups like the Pleasantville Civic Club League and a Garden Club. These groups always worked to make their neighborhood better.
Industry and the Environment
Even though Pleasantville was meant for homes, Houston didn't have strict rules about land use. This meant factories and businesses could build very close to the neighborhood. This happened even more after the I-610 highway was built nearby. More traffic brought more industrial places, like a big food distribution center, a brewery, and chemical plants.
On June 24, 1995, a huge fire started at a chemical storage building in Pleasantville. The fire burned for a whole day. Firefighters had to leave because they didn't know what chemicals were burning. Everyone in the neighborhood had to leave their homes for safety.
After the fire, the community spoke up. Mayor Bob Lanier promised to create a better system for knowing where dangerous chemicals were stored near homes. Because of this, the Hazardous Materials Ordinance was passed in 1996. This law helps control where hazardous materials can be kept.
Community Action and Air Quality
Pleasantville has a strong history of people working together for change. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a group called Achieving Community Tasks Successfully (ACTS) started working to prevent floods.
In 2019, ACTS launched a special project. They created a community-owned network to check the air quality. Because Pleasantville is near the ship channel, a highway, and industrial sites, residents were worried about the air they breathed. The big warehouse fire also made them concerned.
With help from groups like the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas Southern University, Pleasantville is setting up air monitors. The community members are very involved in this project. They will use the information from these monitors to make future plans for their neighborhood.
Pleasantville's Location
Pleasantville is close to the 610 Loop highway and the "East Freeway" part of Interstate 10. The area around the community also has train tracks and industrial businesses.
Education in Pleasantville
Students in Pleasantville attend schools in the Houston Independent School District. The schools for this area include Pleasantville Elementary School, Holland Middle School, and Furr High School.
The Pleasantville Neighborhood Library, part of the Houston Public Library system, is also located in the community.
Parks and Recreation
The Robinson Sr. Community Center is in Pleasantville. It's a great place for community activities.
The center is named after Judson W. Robinson Sr. He was an important leader in Pleasantville. He started a real estate company and was on the board of the Housing Authority of Houston. He was born in Crockett, Texas and passed away in 1986. The Houston Chronicle newspaper called him "a notable leader in the city's black community." His son, Judson W. Robinson Jr., later served on the Houston City Council.
