IN 1913, William A. Wilson saw his dream to fruition: a dynamic new neighborhood built on a foundation of community spirit – Eastwood. A neighborhood unlike anything Houston had seen, one of the first “master-planned communities” incorporating
paved streets, cement sidewalks, city water, gas, electricity and telephones, and a sewage system, Eastwood set itself apart. Wilson’s vision encompassed more than just homes. It included land for a park, a community church and the Eastwood School, now Dora P. Lantrip Elementary, the oldest in-use school in the Houston Independent School District. The year of its conception, the Houston Daily Post hailed Eastwood a “model suburb.”
Part of Houston’s historic East End, Eastwood is bordered to the north by Harrisburg, Sidney Street to the west, Dumble to the east, and I-45 to the south. Centrally located to permit convenient access to Hobby Airport and the Port of Houston, Eastwood is at the hub of Houston’s transportation system. With the renovation and expansion of downtown, residents are only a few miles from fantastic dining and entertainment venues including
the new sports complexes like Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center. They also benefit from the convenience of the Medical Center, the shopping at Gulfgate Center, the close proximity of two University of Houston campuses and the invigorating early morning aromas drifting in from The Maxwell House coffee plant.
Nestled beneath a canopy of trees is one of Houston’s largest intact collections of early 20th century homes reflecting the Craftsman, Arts & Crafts and Mission architecture popular during that era. Mostly single-family properties, Eastwood is one of the few older communities with deed restrictions that have not lapsed to permit the development of businesses in the area. Each fall, the neighborhood showcases some of the remodeled
masterpieces in its Eastwood Historic Homes Tour.
Eastwood is once again home to young professionals and new families, restoring the homes that were the foundation of the neighborhood almost a century ago. But the area also attracts empty nesters and individuals looking to be part of Houston’s renaissance as the downtown area reinvents itself as a destination for living, shopping and entertainment. Today, Eastwood is truly a reincarnation of William A. Wilson’s original vision. More than the 800 homes that carry the mark of their beginnings, the neighborhood is still centered on community. Eastwood residents create a connection to each other, sharing their lives and looking out for the neighborhood. Just one more reason Eastwood is the location for people of discriminating tastes – people who value the location, its history and the community.
