The George Washington Carver School in Acres Homes consisted of 1st grade through 12th. At the time of publication in Negro Life, it had an enrollment of 480 students and a faculty of nine teachers headed by the able and experienced principal, Prof. A.B. Anderson. The community realized that education is the bulwark of democracy and is essential to the progress of the race and nation, consequently it mapped plans for increased facilities more than twice the size and amount now provided. New features to be added to the school’s physical plant included an adequate gymnasium and a football stadium.
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Photo by Negro Life

HOUSTON-  The Harris County Historical Commission will dedicate an Official Texas State Historical marker for the Acres Homes community. This historic event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 6616 D.S.. Bailey Lane. The unveiling of the marker will take place in the 7600 block of West Montgomery Rd. at Little York Rd. The following history of the community was originally published in Negro Life magazine.

Lying 10 miles northwest of the city limits of Houston, Texas is an all-Negro Community which has established the claim of being the largest all-Negro Community in the United States. In this community located on five square miles of high rolling prairie with moderately scattered homes of varying sizes, shapes, and colors, reside a population estimated to be between six and seven thousand people.

Starting with one small plot of land or county subdivision, the community is composed of a number of county subdivisions, each of which were developed after the proceeding one was sold. The lots or plots of land were sold to Negroes exclusively. The original plot of ground or subdivision bears the name of “Acres Homes,” deriving its name from the manner in which the plot of land was redivided and sold to individuals acre plot.

The community is most widely known by the name of the first subdivision, although it is some times referred to by the name of some of the other subdivisions, such as Highland Heights,” “Highland Acres,” “Highland Heights Annex,” “Acres Acreage,” “Harvis Heights,” “Carver Addiction,” and “Lincoln City.” Next to Acres Homes the community is most frequently called Highland Heights and many of the residents hold that the community should be known as Highland Heights only. Although there is a difference of opinion on the proper name for the community there is no controversy over the matter and the people are proud of their community regardless of whether it is known by any of the subdivisions, either of the two most widely known names, or whether  by popular choice a new name should be given for the entire community.

This community was first developed by the Wright Land Company which also developed Independence Heights, an all-Negro town, which was later annexed to the city of Houston. While most of the land in this community was sold by the Wright Land Company, a few other white land companies developed and sold some of the subdivision, the latest of these is the Lincoln Land Company which is now developing Lincoln City.

The community, clean, quiet, at peace with the world and dotted with homes varying  in sizes from  incompleted one-room huts to stately an magnificent two-story homes equipped in every detail with the latest of modern conveniences, has a mixed atmosphere of a rural and urban community. Having no community water or sewage systems many  of the homes are equipped with individual wells, electric pumps, and pipes which supply running water for every convenience and septic tanks for waste disposal. Yet many of the homes are not so well equipped  and are forced to secure water from neighborhood homes neighboring homes equipped with wells and use outside frame privies. Towering in the sky are few windmills powered by gentle breezes that are ever present winter and summer, which are also used as a source of water supply.

Churches of almost every denomination and stores of almost every kind stand out amid the dwellings on this wide expanse of land like the brighter stars mingled with the lesser luminous stars in the skies on a dark unclouded night.
Here hundreds of professionals, business people, laborers, factory workers, domestics, and office girls leave in the mornings and return in the afternoons from their toil in the offices, shops, factories, and homes in the nearby highly industrialized  city of Houston, Texas. As there are stores and shops to satisfy almost every human need and much employment furnished within the community, many of the inhabitants leave the community only on rare occasions.

Inhabitants of the community live a happy, satisfied life with an outlook to the future for continuously improved living conditions. They live isolated from fear of meeting the rent man in their older years, as practically all of the homes are owned by their persons living within them.  The majority of the inhabitants bought their land out of regular earnings while living elsewhere- mostly in Houston- and later constructed a home in keeping with their means and income even if additions were desired later. They improved their homes and surroundings with their accumulated savings.

The people of this community are among the most race-conscious , civic minded, and race proud citizens to be found any where. The are superlatively happy of the fact that all of the property, with one or two exceptions, is owned by Negroes. One sure way for a citizen of the community to become unpopular with the others is to let it be known that he even plans to discuss selling any portion of his property  to a member of another race. Several persons have been accused of purchasing land for a member of another race and one or two have been accused of out right selling their property to members of the other race and these accused persons are almost daily denounced by the citizens of the community for their actions.

Because of their unlimited potentialities that the community has from a business standpoint, it is reported that white business men and concerns are strongly seeking every possible means of opening business establishments within the community. At present there is only one white business firm-a combination grocery, lumber yard and feed store-within the community.
Although the community has numerous churches there are two or three that will compare favorably with many of the leading city churches. There are two schools in the community, one an elementary and the other a high school, and free bus transportation for students living two miles or more from the schools in the community and for the students attending schools in Houston.   -Negro Life

Roy Douglas Malonson, publisher of the African-American News&Issues stated,  George Washington Carver High School was the first school built specifically for Blacks in North Houston and   consisted of students from as far away as Humble, Klein, and Cy-fair. Incidentally,  the students and staff at George Washington Carver High School are gearing up for Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009.  Carver, an Aldine Magnet School  will start the day with a Homecoming parade at 10 a.m. for students and area residents.  Immediately following the parade the annual campus carnival will take place on campus. 
In lieu of a football game, (the school does not have a team) Carver Dance Company will perform their original production of “Where the Treasure Lies” after Mr. and Mrs. Carver is crowned.

The community is now served by Aldine, Houston and Klein Independent School Districts. Acres Homes affectionately called “the 44” because of a popular Metro bus line that runs through it is now marketed as  “a charming neighborhood dotted with pine trees, two nearby parks, and homes with a wide variety of architectural styles.” Before it was annexed by Houston, in the 1970s, it was considered to be the largest unincorporated African-American community in the Southern United States.

The city operates the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center at 6719 West Montgomery Road. The city multi-service centers provide several services such as child care, programs for elderly residents, and rental space.

Recently, Sylvester Turner Park opened, named for Texas House of Representatives Sylvester Turner who grew up in Acres Homes and attended Klein High. Also many entertainers including rap artist Slim Thug are from Acres Homes.

The last census taken in 2000 reports that the population is 23,512 and residents were elated when the Houston Police Department erected a multi-million dollar substation at 9455 West Montgomery. It also boasts one of the largest Black Business Associations  in Texas, the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, founded by Malonson 20 years ago.



The above home is that of Hon. H. B. Turner, Grand Master of the United Most Worshipful Scottish Rite A. F. & A. M. Masonic Lodge of the state of Texas. Mr. Turner’s parents were the second family to establish residence in the community. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are among the most influential and respected religious and civic leaders of the community. Mr. Turner is treasurer of the Acres Homes Citizens’ Committee which was recently organized for the purpose of incorporating the community in a city-the largest all-Negro city in the United States.
                                                                                                 Photo by Negro Life