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91-661: One namesake is Edgar M. Gregory , an officer in the Union army in the U.S. Civil War and the assistant commissioner of the Texas area's Freedmen's Bureau. The other is Abraham Lincoln . The first campus for the Lincoln Junior-Senior School was built in 1966. The original campus was a three-story brick building. It served as a neighborhood secondary school for a section of Montrose . The school opened just as schools were no longer legally segregated by race in

182-774: A doughnut," and that Downtown Houston began to become a "hole" in the "doughnut." As interchange connections with the 610 Loop opened, according to Barna Downtown "became just another node in a multi-node grid" and, as of 1998, "has been that, with already established high densities and land prices." In the mid-1980s, the bank savings and loan crisis forced many tenants in Downtown Houston buildings to retrench, and some tenants went out of business. Barna said that this development further caused Downtown Houston to decline. The Gulf Hotel fire occurred in 1943. Areas which are now considered part of Downtown were once within Third and

273-540: A firm abolitionist, recommended the use of labor contracts to set the terms of employment and payment for rendered services. He was promoted to inspector general and left his position due to whites, like David Burnet, who found him too concerned about the rights of African Americans. He was appointed to the position of United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in May 1869 by Ulysses S. Grant and

364-776: A grade-separated system of hike-and-bike trails. Downtown Houston is a 1,178-acre (1.841 sq mi) area bounded by Interstate 45 , Interstate 69 / U.S. Highway 59 , and Interstate 10 / U.S. Highway 90 . Several sub-districts exist within Downtown, including: Downtown Houston encompasses the original townsite of Houston. After the Texas Revolution , two New York real estate investors, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen , purchased 6,642 acres (2,688 ha) of land from Thomas F.L. Parrot and his wife, Elizabeth ( John Austin 's widow), for US$ 9,428 (equivalent to $ 261,584 in 2023). The Allen brothers settled at

455-780: A member of the Republican County and a Mason . He was a Presbyterian. His health weakened due to the leg injury he sustained during the Civil War. He died at 68 years of age on November 7, 1871. A private funeral was held November 13, 1871 at his home in Philadelphia and with a military escort, that also included men who served under Gregory, of his hearse to the Oxford Presbyterian Church . Elements from President Abraham Lincoln 's view at Independence Hall were used for Gregory's public service in

546-712: A number of years in Deposit, New York . In 1832, he and his partners established the Deposit Bridge Company. He then moved to Cincinnati , Ohio and was in the railroad, lumber, and banking businesses. He helped former slaves in their flight to Canada. By 1844, he was the treasurer on the executive committee of the American Home Missionary Society . He was the president of the Cincinnati Young Men's Auxiliary of

637-573: A reluctance to have their property seized. Betty L. Martin of the Houston Chronicle said that some of the properties were "reputed to be of historical significance." A homeowner named Anthony Pizzitola, who was resident in the Braeswood area, unsuccessfully sued HISD to stop the demolition of his house and asked historian Janet Wagner to determine the probability of historic artifacts at Gregory-Lincoln because there were rumors that there

728-797: A result of the May 2009 closing of J. Will Jones Elementary School, Gregory-Lincoln's elementary boundary had an increase in territory in Midtown . As the result of the 2011 closing of E.O. Smith Education Center , Gregory-Lincoln's middle school boundary had an increase in territory in Downtown Houston . As part of rezoning for the 2014–2015 school year, all portions of Midtown previously zoned to Blackshear Elementary School and all portions of Downtown previously zoned to Blackshear as well as many portions previously zoned to Bruce Elementary School were rezoned to Gregory-Lincoln for elementary school. From 2009 to 2019 each Gregory-Lincoln principal had

819-799: A result, Downtown's residential population has increased to 10,165 people in 4,777 units, up from 900 units in the 1995. Many of Downtown's older residential units are located in lofts and converted commercial space, many of which are located around the performance halls of the Houston Theater District and near Main Street in the Historic District. In spring 2009, luxury high-rise One Park Place opened-up with 346 units. In early 2017 Downtown's largest residential building opened when Market Square Tower's 463 units were completed. Developers have invested more than US$ 4 billion in

910-463: A significant political campaign by the Allen brothers. The Allens gifted a number of city blocks to prominent Texas politicians and agreed to construct the new capitol building and a large hotel at no cost to the government. The Allens also donated blocks to celebrities, relatives, prominent lawyers, and other influential people in order to attract additional investment and speculation to the town. During

1001-446: A term of two years or fewer. Jacob Carpenter of the Houston Chronicle used the school as an example of a low income urban school plagued by constant staff turnover, as in addition four tenths of the teachers from each school year are not present in the following one. In 1972, there were 1,336 students attending Lincoln Junior-Senior High. Black students made up 63%, Mexican-origin students made up 20%, and 17% were Anglo White. As of

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1092-484: A waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify " bona fide " reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections. The elementary attendance boundary includes the Fourth Ward , almost all of Midtown (all of the super neighborhood and the portion of the management district north of U.S. Highway 59 ), and most of Downtown . Small sections of

1183-497: Is Houston's single largest office market, containing 50 million square feet (4,600,000 m ) of space. A premium submarket, Downtown commands the highest office rental rates in the city and was one of the ten most expensive office markets in the United States in 2016. Louisiana Street, which runs through the heart of the district, is one of the fifteen most expensive streets in the United States. 3,500 businesses in

1274-751: Is also a major destination for entertainment and recreation. Nine major performing arts organizations are located within the 13,000-seat Theater District at prominent venues including Alley Theatre , Hobby Center for the Performing Arts , Jones Hall , and the Wortham Theater Center . Two major professional sports venues, Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center , are home to the Houston Astros and Houston Rockets , respectively. Discovery Green , an urban park located on

1365-614: The Bank of the Southwest Tower . In the 19th century much of what was the Third Ward , the present day east side of Downtown Houston, was what Stephen Fox, an architectural historian who lectured at Rice University , referred to as "the elite neighborhood of late 19th-century Houston." Ralph Bivins of the Houston Chronicle wrote that Fox said that area was "a silk-stocking neighborhood of Victorian-era homes." Bivins said that

1456-479: The COVID-19 pandemic in Texas . By 2022 many offices had split shifts to where workers only went to offices for some days of the week. By 2022 activity at hotel and entertainment establishments recovered. In May 2024, a derecho struck the downtown Houston causing damage. In the 1960s, downtown comprised a modest collection of mid-rise office structures, but has since grown into one of the largest skylines in

1547-570: The Fourth wards; the construction of Interstate 45 in the 1950s separated the areas from their former communities and placed them in Downtown. Additional freeway construction in the 1960s and 1970s solidified the current boundaries of Downtown. Originally, Downtown was the most important retail area of Houston. Suburban retail construction in the 1970s and 1980s reduced Downtown's importance in terms of retail activity. From 1971 to 2018, about 40 downtown buildings and other properties have been listed on

1638-411: The Fourth Ward, Houston . Downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas , located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10 , Interstate 45 , and Interstate 69 . The 1.84-square-mile (4.8 km ) district, enclosed by the aforementioned highways, contains

1729-800: The Neartown area, including parts of Avondale and East Montrose, are zoned to Gregory-Lincoln Elementary. The middle school attendance boundary includes: the Fourth Ward, most of Downtown, most of Midtown, and portions of Neartown Houston east of Montrose Boulevard (including Avondale, Courtlandt Place , East Montrose, First Montrose Commons, Roseland Estates, and Westmoreland , and parts of Hyde Park , and North Montrose). Four Seasons Hotel Houston residences, Houston House Apartments , One Park Place , and Sheridan Apartments are zoned to Gregory-Lincoln for grades K-8. Isabella Court , and The Rice are zoned to Gregory-Lincoln for grades 6-8. All of

1820-743: The Texas Historical Commission (THC) told HISD that there were properties eligible to the placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in the area which HISD wished to demolish houses for the new Gregory-Lincoln campus: Genesee Street to the north, Taft Street to the West, West Gray Street to the south, and Andrews street to the east. HISD began demolishing houses anyway. The development attracted controversy since it used eminent domain to seize property owned by existing residents, even though some residents expressed

1911-587: The conclusion of the American Civil War , Gregory issued a general order: "People of color . . . the same personal liberty that other citizens and inhabitants enjoy." The order was endorsed by General Oliver Otis Howard . His regiment mustered out in July 1865. He was brevetted major general on August 9, 1865 or August 9, 1866, for "gallant conduct" at the Battle of Five Forks . He was mustered out by

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2002-496: The "new" Main Street, a plaza with many eateries, bars and nightclubs, which brings many visitors to a newly renovated locale. Phoenicia Specialty Foods opened a downtown grocery store in 2011, located in One Park Place . In June 2019 Dianna Wray of Houstonia wrote that Downtown Houston had an increased amount of pedestrian traffic and residents compared to the post- oil bust 1980s. Office traffic declined during

2093-464: The 1890s, new, larger local streetcar companies finally accumulated the capital necessary to begin constructing streetcar suburbs beyond the conventional boundaries of the city. This led to the development and rapid growth of areas like the Houston Heights and Montrose . Residential development subsequently moved out of the central business district; Quality Hill was virtually abandoned by

2184-537: The 1950s separated portions of the historic Third Ward from the rest of the Third Ward and brought those portions into Downtown. Beginning in the 1960s the development of the 610 Loop caused the focus of the Houston area to move away from Downtown Houston. Joel Barna of Cite 42 said that this caused Greater Houston to shift from "a fragmenting but still centrally focused spatial entity into something more like

2275-409: The 1982–1983 school year the school had 836 elementary students, with 382 (45.7%) being black, 181 (33.8%) being Asian, 164 (19.6%) being Hispanic, and eight (0.9%) being white. In the school's history it received enrollment decreases, particularly when the population decreased, from 906 students in the 2000-2001 period, to about 700 students in the 2004-2005 period. Gentrification of the areas within

2366-404: The 23rd tallest skyscraper in the world. In 1983, the 71-floor, 296 m (971 ft) Wells Fargo Plaza was completed, which became the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas, and 11th-tallest in the country. Skyscraper construction in downtown Houston came to an end in the mid-1980s with the collapse of Houston's energy industry and the resulting economic recession. Twelve years later,

2457-539: The Allens failed to accommodate transit, water service, sewerage, road paving, trash service, or gas service in their plans. As a result, in 1839 the Texas Capitol was moved to Austin . In 1840, Houston adopted a ward system of municipal governance, which, at the time, was considered more democratic than a strong-mayor system and had already been adopted by the United States' largest cities. The boundaries of

2548-597: The American Bible Society in 1846. He moved to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , where he was a preacher. He established the Home Guards, local militia, in Philadelphia. Gregory was a solemn, serious man, but he always spoke to us in kind, gentle tones, and we all liked him. He was a fighter in battle, but in camp he used to have prayer meetings and all that sort of thing, and I am afraid that

2639-691: The Continental Center complex; the airline scheduled to move its employees in stages beginning in July 1998 and ending in January 1999. Bob Lanier , Mayor of Houston , said that he was "tickled to death" by the airline's move to relocate to Downtown Houston. Tim Reylea, the vice president of Cushman Realty, said that the Continental move "is probably the largest corporate relocation in the central business district of Houston ever." Hotel operators in Downtown reacted favorably, predicting that

2730-901: The Downtown Super Neighborhood #61, which includes Downtown and East Downtown , had 12,879 people. 34% were non-Hispanic White, 28% were Hispanic, 32% were non-Hispanic Black, 4% were non-Hispanic Asians, and 2% were non-Hispanic people of other racial identities. In 2015 there were 12,407 residents. 33% were non-Hispanic White, 32% were non-Hispanic Black, 29% were Hispanic, 5% were non-Hispanic Asian, and 1% were non-Hispanics of other racial identities. In 2000 there were 12,407 residents. 5,083 (41%) were non-Hispanic Black, 4,225 (34%) were non-Hispanic White, 2,872 (23%) were Hispanic, 156 (1%) were non-Hispanic Asians, 56 were of two or more races, 11 were non-Hispanic American Indian, and two each were non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and non-Hispanic people of other racial identities. Downtown

2821-603: The Fourth Ward and "The closing of Gregory and the shifting of its students to Lincoln was met with intense opposition from Fourth Ward residents." In 2000, the district announced that the Gregory-Lincoln would receive a new campus that would be on the site of the old campus. Initially HISD planned to locate the a new campus for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) on the same site. In 2002

Gregory-Lincoln Education Center - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-593: The Houston-based Enron Corporation began constructing a 40-floor, 1,284,013sq.ft skyscraper in 1999 (which was completed in 2002) with the company collapsing in one of the most dramatic corporate failures in the history of the United States only two years later. Chevron bought this building to set up a regional upstream energy headquarters, and in late 2006 announced further consolidation of employees downtown from satellite suburban buildings, and even California and Louisiana offices by leasing

3003-554: The National Register of Historic Places . The onset of the 1980s oil glut had devastating economic consequences for Downtown. In the mid-1980s, a bank savings and loan crisis forced many tenants in Downtown Houston buildings to retrench, and some went out of business. This development further caused Downtown Houston to decline. In 1986, Downtown's Class A office occupancy rate was 81.4%. The Downtown Houston business occupancy rate of all office space increased from 75.8% at

3094-610: The Neartown/Montrose portion and most of Midtown, or Heights High School (formerly Reagan High School) for the Fourth Ward and small portions of Midtown. [REDACTED] Media related to Gregory-Lincoln Education Center at Wikimedia Commons Edgar M. Gregory Edgar Mantlebert Gregory (January 1, 1804 – November 7, 1871) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War , Freedmen's Bureau official, and abolitionist. Prior to

3185-491: The Secretary of War on November 30, 1867. General Gordon Granger issued a proclamation in Texas that slavery had come to an end, but that the "freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages." In Washington County, an Army official advised African Americans not to take a day or two to celebrate their freedom. Blacks in Texas faced violence by gangs of white gunmen or desperadoes if they tried to leave

3276-481: The U.S. as the result of the Civil Rights Movement . Thorne Dreyer and Al Reinert of Texas Monthly wrote that HISD officials at the time called it "the most successfully integrated school in the city." However some white families assigned to Lincoln avoided the school by way of private school, moving to another school zone, or renting an apartment in another school zone. A parent-teacher organization

3367-445: The United States. In 1960, the central business district had 10 million square feet (930,000 m ) of office space, increasing to about 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m ) in 1970. Downtown Houston was on the threshold of a boom in 1970 with 8.7 million square feet (800,000 m ) of office space planned or under construction and huge projects being launched by real estate developers . The largest proposed development

3458-701: The Weldon Railroad ) in August 1864. He was brevetted brigadier general on September 30 or October 17, 1864 at the Battle of Poplar Springs Church for "gallant and distinguished service." Gregory and his regiment were present at the Battle of Appomattox Court House and the resulting surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia . There he took command of the Second Brigade, New York Volunteers , 1st Division, 5th Corps . On June 23, 1865, during

3549-414: The areas zoned to Gregory-Lincoln for elementary school continue on to Gregory-Lincoln Middle School. Elementary schools that feed into Gregory-Lincoln for middle school include: Students within the elementary school attendance zone and students within the middle school attendance zone are zoned to either Northside High School (formerly Davis High School) for the Downtown portion, Lamar High School for

3640-572: The campus of Houston Community High School, an HISD magnet school. At a later point it was solely Lincoln Junior High School. In 1980 the district closed the Gregory School (now used as the African American Library at the Gregory School ) and consolidated its students, including elementary ones, into Lincoln. A document quoted in a U.S. Congressional report stated that area residents perceived the move as trying to destabilize

3731-649: The central business district. Station 8 is in Fire District 8. The fire station "Washington #8" first opened in 1895 at Polk at Crawford. The station was closed in 2001 after a sports arena was built on the site. Fire Station 1, which was located at 410 Bagby Street, closed in 2001, as it was merged with Station 8. Station 8, relocated to a temporary building at the corner of Milam and St. Joseph, reopened in June 2001. The current "Super Station" at 1919 Louisiana opened on April 21, 2008. "Stonewall #3," organized in 1867,

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3822-528: The children in the fields. It was estimated that as many as 10,000 children were held under apprenticeships between 1864 and 1867. Under Gregory's leadership, apprenticeship was effectively destroyed in Maryland by 1868. The Bureau provided funding for construction and repair of buildings for schools, as well as educational materials, for black children. Teachers were provided by religious and civic organizations. President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Gregory to

3913-572: The church. His funeral was attended by a number of clergy, judges, and military and former military. He and his wife were buried at the South Laurel Hill Cemetery. Named for him, Edgar M. Gregory School, is the first school for African American children in Houston. It is now the African American Library at the Gregory School , one of the few black libraries. It is located in the Freedmen's Town National Historic District in

4004-529: The city switched to a commission government and the wards, as political entities, were dissolved. Houston grew steadily throughout the late 19th century, and the neighborhoods within the boundaries of modern Downtown diversified. To the northeast, around present-day Minute Maid Park , Quality Hill emerged as an elite neighborhood, occupied by entrepreneurs like William Marsh Rice (namesake of Rice University ), William J. Hutchins , and William L. Foley (namesake of Foley's department stores). The neighborhood

4095-444: The city. The second came a year later with the 1901 discovery of oil at Spindletop , just south of Beaumont, Texas . Shipping and oil industries began flocking to east Texas, many settling in Houston. From that point forward the area grew substantially, as many skyscrapers were constructed, including the city's tallest buildings. In the 1980s, however, economic recession canceled some projects and caused others to be scaled back, such as

4186-402: The confluence of White Oak and Buffalo bayous, a spot now known as Allen's Landing . A team of three surveyors, including Gail Borden, Jr. (best known for inventing condensed milk ) and Moses Lapham , platted a 62-square-block townsite in the fall of 1836, each block approximately 250 by 250 feet, or 62,500 square feet (5,810 m ) in size. The grid plan was designed to conform to

4277-422: The construction of Union Station, which occurred around 1910, caused the "residential character" of the area to "deteriorate." Hotels opened in the area to service travelers. Afterwards, according to Bivins, the area "began a long downward slide toward the skid row of the 1990s" and the hotels devolved into flophouses . Passenger trains stopped going to Union Station in 1974. The construction of Interstate 45 in

4368-435: The contract a lien on the crops worked by the freedmen, and he appointed local agents to manage disagreements. He oversaw labor contracts, relief work, and relevant litigation. He had Army troops patrol near plantations and enforce the contractual agreements. He oversaw the construction of numerous schools and churches. Gregory was removed from his position in January 1866, based upon attacks by David G. Burnet that Gregory

4459-712: The district employ approximately 150,000 workers. Major employers include Chevron , JPMorgan Chase , and United Airlines . Downtown Houston has between 35% and 40% of the Class A office locations of the business districts in Houston. Firms which are headquartered in Downtown include: Continental Airlines (now known as United Airlines ) formerly had its headquarters in Continental Center I . At one point, ExpressJet Airlines had its headquarters in Continental's complex. In September 1997 Continental Airlines announced it would consolidate its Houston headquarters in

4550-476: The east side of the district adjacent to the George R. Brown Convention Center , anchors the city's convention district. Downtown is Houston's civic center, containing Houston City Hall , the jails , criminal, and civil courthouses of Harris County , and a federal prison and courthouse. Downtown is also a major public transportation hub, lying at the center of the light rail system , park and ride system, and

4641-401: The east, Third Ward to the south, Midtown to the southwest, Fourth Ward to the west, Sixth Ward to the northwest, and Near Northside to the north. The district's streets form a strict grid plan of approximately 400 square blocks, oriented at a southwest to northeast angle. The northern end of the district is crossed by Buffalo Bayou, the banks of which function as a linear park with

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4732-411: The elementary and middle school attendance boundaries has caused enrollment to drop. As of 2008 it had 546 students. Gregory-Lincoln requires school uniforms. All students must wear red, grey, or black polo shirts . Students must wear khaki trousers, shorts, or skirts. The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for

4823-536: The end of 1987 to 77.2% at the end of 1988. By the late 1980s, 35% of Downtown Houston's land area consisted of surface parking. In the early 1990s Downtown Houston still had more than 20% vacant office space. By 1987 many of the office buildings in Downtown Houston were owned by non-U.S. real estate figures. Downtown began to rebound from the oil crisis by the mid-1990s. A dozen companies relocated to Downtown in 1996 alone, bringing 2,800 jobs and filling 670,000 square feet (62,000 m ) of space. In 1997 Tim Reylea,

4914-500: The end of the work day. He and another assistant commissioner stated that African Americans "must show by their industry and perseverance that they were worthy of freedom." They dispelled rumors by stating that blacks would not receive land from slaveholders or the government to work their own farms. He handed out sample labor contracts to black and white people. He managed the labor problem by establishing labor contracts between freedmen and their former slave owners, including making

5005-405: The fall of Enron, caused the occupancy rate of Downtown Houston buildings to decrease to 84.1% in 2003 from 97.3% less than two years previously. In 2003, the types of firms with operations in Downtown Houston typically were accounting firms, energy firms, and law firms. Typically newer buildings had higher occupancy rates than older buildings. In 2004, the real estate firm Cresa Partners stated that

5096-408: The first decade of the 21st century to transform Downtown into an active city center with residential housing, a nightlife scene and new transportation. The Cotswold Project, a $ 62 million project started in 1998, has helped to rebuild the streets and transform 90 downtown blocks into a pedestrian-friendly environment by adding greenery, trees and public art. January 1, 2004, marked the opening of

5187-695: The headquarters moved out, but Continental will continue to house employees in the building. It will have about half of the employees that it once had. JPMorgan Chase Bank has its Houston operations headquartered in the JPMorgan Chase Building (Gulf Building). LyondellBasell has offices in the LyondellBasell Towers formerly known as 1 Houston Center . Hess Corporation has exploration and production operations in One Allen Center ., but will move its offices to

5278-448: The late 1830s and early 1840s, Houston was in the midst of a land boom , and lots were selling at "enormous prices," according to a visitor to the town in 1837. Despite the efforts of the Allen brothers and high economic interest in the town, first few years of Houston's existence were plagued by yellow fever epidemics, flooding, searing heat, inadequate infrastructure, and crime. Houston suffered from woefully inadequate city services;

5369-487: The metropolitan freeway network; the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is headquartered in the district. Over 100,000 people commute through Downtown daily. An extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connects a large number of buildings in the district; this system also serves as a subterranean mall. Geographically, Downtown is bordered by East Downtown to

5460-410: The move would cause an increase in occupancy rates in their hotels. In 2008 Continental renewed its lease in the building. Before the lease renewal, rumors spread stating that the airline would relocate its headquarters to office space outside of Downtown. Steven Biegel, the senior vice president of Studley Inc. and a representative of office building tenants, said that if Continental's space went vacant,

5551-678: The new BG place at 811 Main St. Mayer Brown has his Houston office in the Bank of America Center . When Texas Commerce Bank existed, its headquarters were in what is now the JPMorgan Chase Building (Gulf Building). Prior to its collapse in 2001, Enron was headquartered in Downtown. In 2005 Federated Department Stores announced that it will close Foley's 1,200 employee headquarters in Downtown Houston. Houston Industries (HI, later Reliant Energy) and subsidiary Houston Power & Lighting (HL&P) historically had their headquarters in Downtown. Halliburton 's corporate headquarters office

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5642-575: The original Enron building across the street. Both buildings are connected by a second-floor unique walk-across, air-conditioned circular skybridge with three points of connection to both office buildings and a large parking deck. Other smaller office structures were built in the 2000–2003 period. As of January 2015, downtown Houston had more than 44 million square feet (4,087,733 m ) of office space, including more than 29 million square feet (1,861,704 m ) of class A office space. Notable buildings that form Houston's downtown skyline: In 2017

5733-671: The original four wards of Houston radiated out from the intersection of Main and Congress streets; the First Ward was located to the northwest, Second to the northeast, Third to the southeast, and Fourth to the southwest. Fifth Ward was created in 1866, encompassing the area north of Buffalo Bayou and east of White Oak Bayou; Sixth Ward, the final addition to the system, replaced the section of Fourth Ward north of Buffalo Bayou in 1877. The ward system, which featured elected aldermen who served as representatives of each neighborhood, remained Houston's form of municipal government until 1905, when

5824-400: The original townsite of Houston at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou , a point known as Allen's Landing . Downtown has been the city's preeminent commercial district since its founding in 1836. Today home to nine Fortune 500 corporations, Downtown contains 50 million square feet (4,600,000 m ) of office space and is the workplace of 150,000 employees. Downtown

5915-455: The position of United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 11, 1869. Gregory married Ellen Young, daughter of Henry Young of Deposit, New York . Ellen was born on March 4, likely in 1807. She died on November 25, 1868. Their children are: Frances Henry (born 1828 or 1829), Justus Abram, and Sarah Augustus (born 1834 in Deposit, New York, died in 1890). He was

6006-527: The present-day Downtown area. One of the first systems, the Houston City Street Railway, opened in 1874 with four lines along the principal commercial thoroughfares in the heart of the business district. While generally focused on the most prosperous areas of town, the Houston City Street Railway extended one line a full mile south of the center of the city, making it the first streetcar network designed to spur residential development. By

6097-443: The state being in "great peril" he was chosen for his fearlessness. He toured plantations in eastern Texas to assess the treatment of blacks. He found that blacks were treated the same as they had been under slavery. He found incidents "ranging from downright murder, savage beatings, merciless whippings, hunting men with bloodhound, through all the lesser degrees of cruelly and crime." He was the only assistant commissioner in Texas who

6188-481: The state or to prevent them from leaving. There were also blacks were forcibly taken to Texas to work the crops, and there were committees that were formed to prevent blacks from returning to their families in other states. Other African Americans stayed in Texas on the promise of cotton plantation owners that they would be paid a share of the crop at the end of the year. Freed people were also kidnapped to be sold in slave countries Brazil or Cuba. Gregory's greatest sin

6279-482: The turn of the 20th century. Downtown's growth can be attributed to two major factors: The first arose after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 , when investors began seeking a location close to the ports of Southwest Texas, but apparently free of the dangerous hurricanes that frequently struck Galveston and other port cities. Houston became a wise choice, as only the most powerful storms were able to reach

6370-707: The two districts. Houston City Hall , the Margaret Helfrich Westerman Houston City Hall Annex, and the Bob Lanier Public Works Building are all located in Downtown Houston. The community is within the Houston Police Department 's Downtown Division. The Edward A. Thomas Building, headquarters of HPD, is located in 1200 Travis Downtown. Houston Fire Department Station 8 Downtown at 1919 Louisiana Street serves

6461-413: The two story current Gregory Lincoln building opened. As of January 2008 it has about 500 students. The demolition of the original campus was scheduled to begin in January 2008. The district planned to grade the land and place an athletic field for middle school students and a playground for elementary school students. The new school building includes digital ceiling-mounted projectors in the classrooms. As

6552-677: The under construction Hess Tower (Named after the company) upon its completion. ExxonMobil has Exploration and Producing Operations business headquarters at the ExxonMobil Building . Qatar Airways operates an office within Two Allen Center ; it also has a storefront in the Houston Pavilions . Enbridge has its Houston office in the Enterprise Plaza . KPMG has their Houston offices in

6643-668: The vacancy rate in Downtown Houston's Class A office space was almost 20%. The Texas Legislature established the Downtown Houston Management District in 1995. Circa/after the 1990s, Downtown has experienced a boom in high-rise residential construction, spurred in large part by the Downtown Living Initiative (DLI), a tax incentive program created by the city. Between 2013 and 2015, the DLI subsidized 5,000 proposed residential units. As

6734-515: The vacancy would not have had a significant impact in the Downtown Houston submarket as there is not an abundance of available space, and the empty property would be likely that another potential tenant would occupy it. Jennifer Dawson of the Houston Business Journal said that if Continental Airlines left Continental Center I, the development of Brookfield Properties's new office tower would have been delayed. As of September 2011

6825-590: The vice president of Cushman Realty, said that "None of the major central business districts across the country has seen the suburban-to-downtown shift that Houston has." Circa 2000 the Ballpark at Union Station/Enron Field, now Minute Maid Park , opened, Houston Downtown Management District president Bob Eury stated that this promoted subsequent development in Downtown. By 2000, demand for Downtown office space increased, and construction of office buildings resumed. The cutbacks by firms such as Dynegy , in addition to

6916-581: The war, he worked in lumber, banking, and railroad businesses in Cincinnati , where he also helped people escape slavery . During the war he rose to the rank of Brevet major general for his "gallant and distinguished service". At the close of the war, he was made assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau responsible in the state of Texas. Planters and others, concerned about the cotton crops, continued to treat blacks as slaves with harsh, cruel treatment and forcing them to remain in Texas. Gregory,

7007-543: The war. On August 2, 1861, Gregory joined the Union Army and was made colonel of the 91st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment . The regiment fought in 21 battles. Gregory was wounded in the leg on March 3, 1863, at Chancellorsville, Virginia . He and his troops were attacked at Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg . He led during the Richmond campaign ( Second Battle of Deep Bottom and/or Operations against

7098-399: The wicked boys about division headquarters used to make ribald and sometimes blasphemous comments on "Parson Gregory", whom, despite his kindness to us, we used to call with great irreverence the "Bible-banging Brigadier!" — Story of a Cannoneer   During the American Civil War , Gregory was a Union Army officer. Two sons also enlisted in the army and both served until the end of

7189-521: The winding route of Buffalo Bayou; east–west streets were aligned at an angle of north 55º west, while north–south streets were at an angle of south 35º west. Each block was subdivided into 12 lots – five 50-by-100-foot lots on each side of the block, and two 50-by-125-foot lots between the rows of five. The Allen brothers, motivated by their vision for urban civic life, specified wide streets to easily accommodate commercial traffic and reserved blocks for schools, churches, and civic institutions. The townsite

7280-529: Was a grave site from the American Reconstruction era. These rumors of prevented any development for several years. In 2006 Houston ISD did not find any new grave sites and started development of Gregory-Lincoln. The new Gregory-Lincoln campus was scheduled to be completed by 2008. The current $ 13.5 million, 114,000-square-foot (10,600 m) school building was financed by the $ 808.6 million 2002 Rebuild HISD bond. On Monday, December 31, 2007,

7371-412: Was a radical abolitionist and many whites were angry about his proclivities towards blacks, who Gregory saw as respectable people, with good morals, and deserved the right to live free. He also saw himself as superior to African Americans. Gregory spoke to white and black people about post-war emancipation , which white Texans thought arbitrary and unlawful, and reconstruction in the evenings, after

7462-608: Was formed despite the disadvantaged backgrounds of some families. Beginning in 1969, a desegregation program, initially funded by parishioners of the First Presbyterian Church and operated by the Emergency School Assistance Programs , a federal government initiative to support schools that racially integrated, began. The church funding paid for the first year. It was initially both a junior and senior high school, and also became

7553-780: Was in 5 Houston Center . In 2001, Halliburton canceled a move to redevelop land in Westchase to house employees; real estate figures associated with Downtown Houston approved of the news. Nancy Sarnoff of the Houston Business Journal said it made more sense for the company to lease existing space instead of constructing new office space in times of economic downturns. By 2009 Halliburton closed its Downtown Office, moved its headquarters to northern Houston, and consolidated operations at its northern Houston and Westchase facilities. Two city council districts, District H and District I, cover portions of Downtown. As of 2015 Mayor Pro-Tem Ed Gonzalez and Robert Gallegos, respectively, represent

7644-670: Was in service when he died. Edgar Mantlebert Gregory was born on January 1, 1804, at the town of Sand Lake, New York in Rensselaer County, New York and grew up in Pennsylvania. His father was Rev. Justus or Julius Gregory and his mother was Clarissa Downs, the daughter of David and Sarah Downs. The Gregorys descended from pioneers of Norwalk, Connecticut and before that ancestors from Nottingham , England. He had brothers Henry M. and David as well as older sisters. He lived in Deposit, New York . Gregory lived for

7735-667: Was inciting anger of the freedmen for their employers. Gregory received a commendation for his service, was promoted to inspector general, after which he left his position on April 13, 1866. Major General Joseph Kiddoo , who "conducts matters on the white man principal", replaced Gregory. He was the commissioner of Maryland in 1867, the year in which illegal apprentices, where children were bonded to previous masters, were coming to an end. Apprenticeship arrangements made it difficult to enforce civil rights and emancipation for bonded children. It also made it difficult to ensure that black children were obtaining an education; former masters wanted

7826-555: Was located in the current location of the Post Rice Lofts . It 1895 it moved to a location along Preston Street, between Smith and Louisiana, in what is now Downtown. The station, currently Station #3, moved outside of the current day Downtown in 1903. Fire Station 5, originally in what was then the Fifth Ward , moved to Hardy and Nance in what is now Downtown in 1895. The station was rebuilt at that site in 1932, and in 1977

7917-541: Was the 32-block Houston Center . Only a small part of the original proposal was ultimately constructed, however. Other large projects included the Cullen Center, Allen Center, and towers for Shell Oil Company . The surge of skyscrapers mirrored the skyscraper booms in other cities, such as Los Angeles and Dallas . Houston experienced another downtown construction spurt in the 1970s with the energy industry boom. The first major skyscraper to be constructed in Houston

8008-476: Was the 50-floor, 218 m (715 ft) One Shell Plaza in 1971. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout the 1970s, culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, 305 m (1,001 ft) JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), which was completed in 1982. In 2002, it was the tallest structure in Texas, ninth-tallest building in the United States, and

8099-544: Was then cleared and drained by a team of Mexican prisoners and black slaves . By April 1837, Houston featured a dock, commercial district, the capitol building of the Republic of Texas , and an estimated population of 1,500. The first city hall was sited at present-day Market Square Park in 1841; this block also served as the city's preeminent retail market. The relocation of the Texan republic's capital to Houston required

8190-633: Was trying to make the ex-slave free in fact, not just on paper. —William L. Richter, author of The Army and the Negro During Texas Reconstruction, 1865-1870   He was appointed to a position with the Freemen's Bureau after the war. He was made assistant commissioner responsible for the state of Texas. In September 1865, he took over operation of the Galveston custom house . A staunch abolitionist, and due to

8281-534: Was well known for its opulent residential architecture, often in the Greek Revival style. To the north, along a bend in Buffalo Bayou, the working-class neighborhood of Frost Town welcomed immigrants from Europe and Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Prior to the arrival of the first streetcars in Houston in the 1870s, most development in the city had been centered in and around

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