Lindsay, Oscar, House
7415 N. Main St., Houston, TXThe Oscar Lindsay House (c. 1920) is one of the most intact properties associated with an important businessman and city official of Independence Heights. Lindsay operated a number of businesses in the community during the period of significance as well as overlapping as one of three city officials. The property is eligible under Criterion A in the area of Ethnic Heritage (black) at the local level of significance.
The Oscar Lindsay House is near the center of Independence Heights on North Main Street and is the home of local businessman and a city official. Lindsay operated a number of small businesses in the community including a cleaning and pressing shop, barbershop and ice cream parlor. He set up and managed the ice cream business in his front yard thereby taking advantage of the location on the community's busiest thoroughfare. In addition, Lindsay served as the city plumber for Independence Heights providing an essential service to local residents.
This position was one of three public workers supported by the City of Independence Heights on a regular basis (the others were sanitation workers and water commissioner). Oscar Lindsay worked in a number of vocations that seem to have overlapped during the period of significance. Based on the documentation available, this was common for many residents of Independence Heights and possibly contemporary African American neighborhoods in Houston. Black business owners often operated a number of businesses at once usually requiring low overhead and small capital investments.
The Lindsay House represents the early ethnic heritage of Independence Heights and is one of the only remaining buildings associated with a city official.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.