Preserving Houston's Oldest Neighborhood

Front porch of a white house with a blue door, wooden stairs leading up to the porch, and decorative columns.
Colorful house with star mural, yellow exterior, grey roof, red car parked in driveway, surrounded by green lawn and trees.
Exterior of Henderson & Kane general store with outdoor seating, decorative window bars, and a sign above the entrance.
Building labeled 'Pow School' with a sign in front reading 'Old Sixth Ward Historic District, 6th, established 1858'

The Old Sixth Ward is Houston's first Protected Historic District, with the largest concentration of Victorian-era homes in the city.

The Old Sixth Ward is not just another neighborhood; it is a living piece of Houston's history. In 1978, it was the first Houston neighborhood to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Designation as a historic District

On June 25th, 1998, the City of Houston officially designated the Old Sixth Ward area as an historic district. The boundaries of the Old Sixth Ward Historic District include 1909 Washington Avenue, as shown in the image below from this designation resolution (Harris County Deed Record T554200):

Boundaries of the Old Sixth Ward Historic District as designated by Houston City Council in June 1998.

Deed Restrictions

At the time of purchase of the lots at 1909 Washington in August 2024, the Purchaser was provided notice of Deed Restrictions on these lots (Harris County Deed Record RP-2024-313638). This notice was signed by Managing Member of Penta Hwy 105 and states:

The real property described below, which you are purchasing, is subject to deed restrictions recorded in Harris County, Texas.

Restrictions and regulations set forth in that certain City of Houston, Texas, Resolution No. 98-24, designating Old Sixth Ward Area as Historic District, a certified copy of same recorded under Harris County Clerk's File No. T554200 and under Harris County Clerk's File No. 20090189886. Same noted on survey prepared June 11, 2024, last revised June 25, 2024 by Bryan Connallly, RPLS No. 5513 for CBG Job No. 2408951.

THE RESTRICTIONS LIMIT YOUR USE OF THE PROPERTY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE TO ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN DEED RESTRICTIONS. You are advised that, in the absence of a declaratory judgment that the referenced restrictions are no longer enforceable, the City of Houston may sue to enjoin a violation of such restrictions. ANY PROVISIONS THAT RESTRICT THE SALE, RENTAL OR USE OF THE REAL PROPERTY ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN ARE UNENFORCEABLE; however, the inclusion of such provisions does not render the remainder of the deed restrictions invalid. The legal description and street address to the property you are acquiring are as follows:

Street Address: 1909 Washington Avenue, Houston, TX 77007

In 2007, City Council designated Old Sixth Ward as Houston's first Protected Historic District to provide additional protection against the irretrievable loss or alteration of the historic structures and preserve its unique 19th-century character.

A gas station—with its modern corporate design, sprawling concrete, and bright fluorescent lighting—is fundamentally incompatible with this vision. It would create a jarring visual disruption and undermine decades of public and private investment in preservation.

We are calling on the City of Houston to leverage the restrictions on the developer’s deed in order to protect the historic nature of the neighborhood.