Where is Houston Heights?
Houston Heights is a neighborhood in Houston, in Harris County. The Handbook of Texas places it on high land bordered by White Oak Bayou, four miles north of downtown Houston.
The City of Houston includes the area in Super Neighborhood 15, Greater Heights. The city describes it as inside the 610 Loop, roughly bounded by Interstate 10 on the south and Interstate 610 on the north. I-45 forms the eastern edge and White Oak Bayou the western edge. City tables place the super neighborhood in ZIP codes 77007, 77008 and 77009. Its civic clubs include the Houston Heights Association, the Woodland Heights Civic Association and the Norhill Neighborhood Association.
How did Houston Heights begin?
The townsite was part of the John Austin grant. I. W. Brashear bought it in 1872. Around 1891, Daniel Denton Cooley moved to Houston to plan and manage the town. Cooley was treasurer of the Omaha and South Texas Land Company. Its president was Oscar Martin Carter. The Handbook of Texas describes the 1,175-acre site as one of the first planned communities in Texas.
Work began in 1892. Crews laid out streets and alleys and paved Heights Boulevard. An electric street railway linked the town to Houston. Houston Heights incorporated as a city in 1896. The land company liquidated its assets that year after the Panic of 1893. The population was 830 in 1900 and 9,000 in 1915. Residents voted for annexation by Houston in 1918.
The area began to decline in the 1950s. The Houston Heights Association was founded in 1973 to campaign for preservation. The National Park Service designated the Heights a Multiple Resource Area in 1983.
What are the Heights historic districts?
The City of Houston has designated three historic districts in the Heights. Heights Boulevard divides East and West numbered streets.
| District | Designated | Boundaries |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Heights West | December 2007 | 16th Street, Yale Street, 11th Street, Ashland Street |
| Houston Heights East | February 2008 | Heights Boulevard, Oxford Street, 20th Street, 11th Street |
| Houston Heights South | June 2011 | Heights Boulevard, Oxford Street, 11th Street, 4th Street |
Projects that would alter the exterior of a designated property need a Certificate of Appropriateness. The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission hears these applications.
What deed restrictions apply?
Houston is not zoned. The original 1891 deed restrictions governed setback, use, quality and size of construction. They stopped being enforced after the 1918 annexation. The Houston Heights Association manages newer deed restrictions in some sections. The city helps enforce recorded deed restrictions.
Which school district serves the Heights?
City planning tables place all of Super Neighborhood 15 within Houston ISD.