Another house in Freedmen s Town, owned by a woman, needs saving houstonchronicle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from houstonchronicle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Located in Houston's Fourth Ward, Freedmen's Town tells the story of what happened to Black Texans after Juneteenth and has received UNESCO recognition.
Major efforts underway to restore, preserve Houston’s oldest Black community
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HOUSTON – Freedman’s Town at one time had more than 500 homes, today there are only about 40 left.
Gladys House-El has roots that run deep in that area of the 4th Ward, which was developed by freed slaves beginning circa 1865. Today, she lives in the home her family business operated out of decades ago.
“I’m the fifth generation of the planners and developers of Freedman’s Town,” House-El said. “My family sold blocks of ice on the back of a horse-drawn buggy.”
Right down the street from House-El’s home is the former home of master printer Rutherford Yates, which is now the Yates Museum showcasing the area’s history.