Telfair, Sugar Land, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Telfair
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Community in Sugar Land, Texas
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Telfair entrance, University Blvd
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Texas | |
| County | Fort Bend County | |
| City | Sugar Land, Texas | |
| Land sold to Newland Communities | 2002 | |
| Construction started | February 2005 | |
| Date of opening | Spring of 2006 | |
| Founded by | Newland Communities | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,018 acre (817 ha) | |
| Population | ||
| • Total | 10,634 | |
| • Density | 3,375.87/sq mi (1,303.43/km2) | |
| ZIP Code |
77479
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Telfair is a large, planned community in Sugar Land, Texas, United States. It covers about 2,018-acre (817 ha) of land. This community was built on land that used to be part of a state prison.
Contents
History of Telfair
In 2002, the State of Texas sold a piece of land to Newland Communities. This company is a developer from San Diego, California. The land was one of the last big areas in Sugar Land that could be developed.
Building the Community
Newland Communities started building Telfair in February 2005. The community was named after Telfair Square in Savannah, Georgia. The developers planned to build between 4,000 and 4,500 homes. The first homes opened in the spring of 2006.
In 2009, Telfair saw a 10% increase in home sales. This was special because home sales in most other parts of Houston were going down. By March 2010, over 1,600 of the planned 2,800 homes were built. The Houston Business Journal gave Telfair three awards in 2010. They recognized it as a top residential community. They also praised how it turned an old prison building into a museum.
A Look at the Past
A historic cemetery is still located in Telfair. This cemetery is in the middle of a grassy field in the northwest part of the community. It was where people from the old prison were buried from 1912 to the 1930s.
Telfair's main road is University Boulevard. It used to be called Flanagan Road. This name came from R. J. "Buck" Flanagan. He was in charge of the old prison farm for 30 years.
Where is Telfair?
The Telfair community is located near U.S. Route 59 / Interstate 69. This is also known as the Southwest Freeway. The main way to enter Telfair is on University Boulevard. This road is south of Texas State Highway 6.
Telfair's Economy
In 2012, Texas Instruments announced a big move. They decided to move their Fort Bend County offices to the Telfair area. The new building was finished and opened in early 2014.
Education in Telfair
Children living in Telfair go to schools in the Fort Bend Independent School District.
Students in Telfair are assigned to specific schools. These include Cornerstone Elementary School, which is located right in Telfair. They also go to Sartartia Middle School and Clements High School. Some parts of Telfair used to be zoned for Kempner High School.
Parks and Fun
Telfair has a community center called Telfair Central Hall. It is 9,545-square-foot (886.8 m2) in size. Its design looks like the old Two Camp building from the former prison. This center is near New Territory Boulevard and University Boulevard.
The original plans for Telfair included lots of green space. About 417 acres (169 ha) of the property was set aside for parks and recreation. The developers also planned to add a 70-acre (28 ha) lake. There is also land reserved for a future city park. This park would cover another 70 acres.
Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land
The land where Telfair was built included an old prison dormitory. This building was called Two Camp. Newland Communities decided to fix up this old building. It had some broken windows and loose bricks. The company put a new metal roof on it. City officials and historians were happy with this decision.
In 2009, the 43,000 square feet (4,000 m2) Two Camp Building became the Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land. The community donated the building and land to the City of Sugar Land. The city then leases the building to the museum. The museum spent $3 million to help renovate the building.
