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"Precinct One has deep roots in Houston history. It's home to landmarks honoring civil rights leaders Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, neighborhoods that shaped the LGBTQ community in Houston, and public art that reflects the area's ongoing story. Exploring it is a way to connect with the people and history that made Houston what it is today."
Precinct One in Houston is home to historic neighborhoods, public figures, and public art. It includes Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Montrose, and Houston Heights. Visitors can explore parks honoring Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, view free art at the Menil Collection, and see murals like the Juneteenth Street Mural. Project Row Houses in Third Ward combines local art, historic preservation, and community development.
Historic leaders like Barbara Jordan, who was the first Black woman elected to the Texas state senate and the first Black Texan in Congress, and former Congressman Mickey Leland, are both from Precinct One, and you can learn more about each of them respectively at our Barbara Jordan Park and Community Center and our Mickey Leland Memorial Park and memorial statue at Hermann Park. American Journalist Dan Rather is from the Houston Heights neighborhood, and the talented singer and performer Beyoncé is from our very own Third Ward.
Historic Fifth Ward has some of the oldest churches in our area, with six that are over 100 years old. In the 1930s, Fifth Ward had over 40 black-owned businesses and is still a proud and tight-knit community with community gardens and regular celebrations. Third Ward is home to Project Row Houses, which was founded in 1993 by community activists and is an entirely unique project that combines local art, historic preservation, and community development. The Montrose neighborhood was ripe with the counterculture movements of the 1960s and 1970s and became the epicenter of the LGBTQ community in Houston. Montrose was, and still is in many ways, a place for artists and a unique neighborhood. The Menil Collection, a free museum with over 17,000 pieces of art, is located in Montrose. There are so many great and historic neighborhoods in Precinct One, and we are proud to serve each and every one of them.
There is a ton of public art on display in Precinct One that demonstrates these different cultures. Hermann Park’s “Art in the Park” offers a number of contemporary art installations for the public to enjoy. At the University of Houston Downtown, you can find a beautiful mural named “Salt Marsh” by John Biggers. And the popular “Houston is Inspired” mural by the famous artist Gonzo can also be found in Precinct One. And the art, like the people, is always changing and growing. In the summer of 2020, when the nation was shaken by powerful marches for racial justice, activists in Harris County created the striking Juneteenth Street Mural in Independence Heights and the Black Lives Matter Street Mural in Acres Homes, two neighborhoods in Precinct One.
