The Inner-Loop Heights area neighborhoods have experienced phenomenal changes since it was developed in 1891 by O.M. Carter and his group of forward-thinking investors, and it became the first “master-planned community” in Texas, a marvel of its time. Throngs of curious visitors piled onto streetcars to share a glimpse of Carter’s utopian vision, a place where grand Victorian mansions and quaint working class cottages coexisted in harmony alongside industrial and business districts.
Having survived a long, slow decline beginning in the 1940s with the nation’s exodus to the suburbs, the area today has experienced dramatic revitalization, attracting families and young professionals who value its architectural distinction, small-town character, and proximity to Downtown. Available homes vary from original bungalows to impressive new construction, much of which actually mirrors the architecture of those grand Victorian mansions from times past.
In 1983, the community was designated as a historic Multiple Resource Area by the National Park Service and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of the area’s overall significance. In 1991, the City designated it as a Historic District of the City of Houston, and the community received an official Texas Historical Marker commemorating the founding of Houston Heights.
Heights Boulevard serves as a living photograph of “how it used to be,” featuring turn-of-the-century homes, privately maintained parks, and special City of Houston designation as a “Scenic Right-of-way.” Other outstanding features of the area include the Heights Playground, completely designed, funded, and constructed by the people of the community; its unique 19th street historic business district; educational opportunities that include preschool, parochial schools as well as outstanding public schools; a variety of annual events, such as the Heights Garage Sale, Historic Heights Home and Garden Tour, Heights Fun Run, Heights Festival, and Christmas in the Heights; and warm friendly people who keep that small-town feeling alive.
