Sam Houston Park

Sam Houston Park began when Nathaniel Kelly Kellum purchased 13 acres on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou in 1844 and 1845, where he built a brick factory, a tannery, and his residence. The property was later sold to Zerviah Noble, who held it until the City of Houston purchased it in 1899 as the city's first officially designated public park. Kellum's two-story brick house, built in 1847, became the headquarters of the Parks Department, and the park, originally known as City Park, was officially renamed Sam Houston Park in 1903. By 1961, it had expanded to nearly 21 acres, including land that had once been the Episcopal and Masonic cemeteries, but its popularity as a leisure site had begun to decline. In 1959, almost two acres on the park's far western edge were taken for support piers and access ramps for the Interstate 45 elevated roadway, possibly adding to its reduced appeal. The Kellum-Noble house stood vacant for several years, and by 1954 the City of Houston announced plans to raze it. Preservation-minded citizens then united to save the landmark, forming the Harris County Heritage and Conservation Society, now known as The Heritage Society, which stabilized the building, opened it as a museum, and revitalized the park by creating a home for many historic and replica structures. Public sculptures and monuments also came to the park, which again became a popular cultural, educational, and leisure site for downtown Houston residents.

Houston, Texas · United States