MEYERLAND, a residential district at the outer southwest comer of Loop 610, was developed by George Meyer in the mid-1950s. Actually, three generations of the Meyer family were instrumental in its ultimate development, beginning with Joseph F. Meyer, who was only five when his
family came to Houston after the Civil War. In the 1890s, he started buying land in the southwest part of the area surrounding Houston, eventually accumulating 6,000 acres.
His son, George, was the first to see the possibilities of a prestigious subdivision and divided 1,200 acres into 2,700 lots, with 80 acres reserved for a stopping center. He then developed homes considered affordable enough to attract middle America. Look magazine called it a “state-of-the-art neighborhood” and, in 1958, House and Home claimed it was the “ideal plan for a subdivision.”
Meyerland might be termed Houston’s first “planned community” in that Meyer held to stringent deed restrictions and strong architectural controls for its development. Homes were required to have copper plumbing, for
instance, and covenants prohibited apartments and commercial enterprises. Characteristic of Meyerland are brick, contemporary-styled homes, three and four bedrooms with two baths, an uncommon feature when built.
Meyerland Shopping Center was launched in 1957 with an “Around the World in 80 Days” celebration by George Meyer’s oldest daughter, Leota Meyer Hess, who also managed it. The third generation of the Meyer family sold the center in 1984. After years of neglect, in the mid-90s
it was purchased and renovated by a new owner and today is a successful, bustling center for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Like the center, many of the 1950-60s homes prevalent in the neighborhood have been refurbished and, thanks to the enforcement of deed restrictions, Meyerland’s residential integrity has been protected. Today, there are 2,300+ homes, most of them one-story ranch style, as well as newer construction. New and younger families are moving in, and many second generation Meyerlanders who knew what they liked long ago are moving back.
