Riverside Terrace

Introduction

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Riverside Terrace, located in southeast Houston, is the foremost neighborhood of Houston's African-American elite. The neighborhood was developed by Clarence Malone and the Guardian Trust Company in the 1920s,34 as an affluent neighborhood of large homes occupied by some of Houston’s most prominent businessman. Riverside Terrace since 1930s to 1950 was the heart of the Jewish community in Houston. The first African-American who moved in the neighborhood was Jacks Caesar in 1952, even if the African-Americans were restricted to Black neighborhoods at this time. He was a wealthy and successful cattleman who was only looking for a nice home to match his success. After Caesar moved into Riverside Terrace, there was unease among the white residents. He stayed in his home despite a bomb being detonated on his front porch. The bomber was caught and convicted. It didn’t take long when the white and Jewish families began moving out to the suburbs. Until the end of 1960s Riverside Terrace became a home to prominent families of eminent African-American layers, doctors, College professors and politicians.

Images

In the 1960s some Whites who wanted the neighborhood to stabilize as an integrated neighborhood posted signs stating "This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale."

Jack Caesar after the bombing.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Riverside Terrace comprises 23 subdivisions platted between 1924 and 1946, which extend discontinuously along either side of Brays Bayou and the MacGregor Parkway, from Almeda Road on the west to Calhoun Road on the east. The area contains notable array of houses, work of eminent architects such as John Chase, John Staub, Birdsall Briscoe, Bolton & Barnstone, and Joseph Finger. The earliest homes built in Riverside reflected the traditional prevailing taste that could be found in the Houston’s established elite neighborhoods. Most common were Tudor and Colonial Revival styles. However the houses built in Riverside starting 1950 begun to reflect larger design trends. Today, the neighborhood contains numerous examples of outstanding architecture from the late Art Deco and mid-century modern eras. Some of the Huston’s most interesting and exuberant mid-century houses can be seen here.

Sources

https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/race-income-ethnicity-HR-3.1.pdf http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/HistoricPres/landmarks/12L261_Duke-Shapiro.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Terrace,_Houston