Cypress Top Historic Park
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Cypress Top Historic Park is a cluster of historic buildings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that have been preserved to reflect the original part of the town of Cypress. The land for the historic park was donated to Harris County by the descendants of the Juergen family, and the site is now a museum run by Harris County Precinct 3. Docents from the Cypress Historical Society provide public tours of the site. Along with the historical society's offices and archives, a genealogical research library is located inside the old Cypress Railroad Depot building on site. The park officially opened in 2008, and a historical plaque was placed on the grounds in 2013.
Images
Cypress Top Historical Park
Juergen's General Store
Restaurant and bar attached to the General Store
Juergen's Dance Hall (interior)
Leon's Barber Shop (exterior)
Barber Shop (interior)
Farm Tractor
The Barn
Old bike on display in the barn
Town of Cypress historical marker
Cypress Railroad Depot building
A Genealogical Research Library is now located in the Railroad Depot building
Delco hut
Toolshed
Service Station (exterior)
Service Station museum exhibit
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Cypress Top Historic Park is a group of buildings constructed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by German settlers in the town of Cypress, including the Juergen family. The original home of Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Juergen is still located on site. Their descendants donated the house and surrounding land to Harris County to be converted into a public museum, which opened in 2008. In conjunction with the museum's grand opening, several other original buildings from "old-town" Cypress were relocated to this property and preserved. Today, the historic park includes buildings that were originally owned by the Juergens, including the General Store (with its attached restaurant and bar), the Juergen Dance Hall, the Barn, and the Toolshed. It also includes structures that were relocated to the site, including the Humble Service Station, Leon's Barber Shop, the Flour Mill, and the Cypress Railroad Depot building.
Artifacts such as an antique bicycle, old signs and tires, and agricultural tools have been preserved within the barn. Other historic objects, including an original barber shop chair and haircutting equipment from Leon's Barber Shop, as well as memorabilia from the Humble Service Station, including a gas station attendant's uniform, have also been placed on display. Docents from the Cypress Historical Society conduct public tours of the site, while sharing stories about the history of Cypress. In addition to the preserved buildings and museum exhibits throughout the park, the Darlene Roth Research Library is open to the public for genealogical research. The library is located within the bright yellow Cypress Railroad Depot building, which also houses the offices and archives for the Cypress Historical Society.
Before the population of Cypress grew and the town expanded, the land that is currently part of the Cypress Top Historical Park was at the heart of the town. Because of this, visitors get a sense of what Cypress was like when it served as a social and economic hub for previous generations who lived in this agricultural community. The museum's exhibits offer a glimpse into the everyday lives of residents during a past era when the lengthy days of agricultural labor were capped off by lively Friday night gatherings at the Juergen's Dance Hall. The Humble Service Station reflects a period when automobile travel was still relatively new and on-the-rise, while the Cypress Railroad Depot building shows how the town began to grow quickly after it became a railway junction on the line between Hempstead and Houston.
Sources
Cypress Top Historic Park, The Critter Team. Accessed May 9th, 2023. https://thecritterteam.com/cypress-top-historic-park/.
Home, Cypress Historical Society. Accessed May 9th, 2023. http://www.cypresshistoricalsociety.com/.
Pewitt, Kevan. Cypress Top Historic Park, Houston Prime Realty. November 23rd, 2016. Accessed May 9th, 2023. https://houstonprimerealty.com/places-to-visit/cypress-top-historic-park/.
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
The Cypress Historical Society
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty
Kevan Pewitt and Houston Prime Realty