Queen City Heights Historic District
Roughly bounded by Eugene, Cooper, Latimer, Kynard and Dildock, Dallas, TXBecause the Queen City area's African-American heritage is related to its pre- suburban development period, a brief sketch of the area's history is necessary. Almost all the land that includes the Queen City Historic District and the surrounding areas was settled by white farmers after the Civil War. Initially, most of the land from the Trinity River floodplain to the Fairgrounds in Southeast Dallas was divided into large parcels of 200 acres or more, much of which was heavily timbered with cedar. Aaron Camp and his wife Martha, natives of Palestine, Texas, who came to Dallas in 1868, were among the largest property owners in South Dallas with more than 400 acres of the land area below Grand Avenue. Clearing the land for cultivation was a labor-intensive endeavor, as was cotton production, the principal crop grown in what is now South Dallas. It is likely that African Americans were employed as hired hands or tenant farmers for the cotton fields. It is also likely that they lived on, or very near, the farms in small enclaves of workers' houses. During the 1880s, however, many of the large cotton farms near Dallas were subdivided into smaller parcels of between five and 50 acres and sold to "gardeners" or "orchardists", as they were listed in city directories because they grew vegetables and fruit rather than livestock, feed or cotton. James F. Warren, Pietro Sabatoni, James Greer, Phillip Peyton and William Jordan were among the prominent white "gardeners" in South Dallas, south of Warren Avenue. The population of the area increased as numerous small farms replaced the vast tracts of cotton fields. Frame farmhouses sprang up along Greer (Metropolitan) and Reeves (now Romine) streets, two major country thoroughfares through the South Dallas region in the late 19th century.
Cotton production dwindled as the area became more settled. An increasing number of African-American families moved into the area in the last decades of the 19th century and gradually outnumbered white families. Perhaps it was because they had already established homes and churches in the area and had successfully made the transition to gardening. Among the earliest inhabitants of Greer Street (now Metropolitan) were African American residents Dallas Calloway, Charity and Elijah Davis, and Louis Wade, according to late 19th-century city directories. Calloway and Wade were also among the first residents of Bermuda Lawn Addition (1906), which was the first addition developed in the Queen City vicinity, and Elijah and Charity Davis helped found St. Paul AME Church, which was one of the first two churches on Atlanta Street. These individuals were listed as "gardeners" along with the white truck farmers in the area (City directories 1892 and 1898).
While African-American settlement in the immediate vicinity of Queen City can be traced as early as the 1874 Romine Avenue Christian Church, there is no indication that any concerted efforts were made to develop the area exclusively for African American occupation until after 1904, when area farms were subdivided for intensive residential development. Although most of the property owners were white farmers, early city directories (1886, 1892, 1898) listed a number of African American families who also resided on Central Avenue, Greer (now Metropolitan), and Reeves (now Romine) which were the primary thoroughfares at that time. These streets extended east of the H&TC railroad tracks that separated this semi-rural property from the then-fast-developing streetcar suburbs of Colonial Hill to the west. Among the several African-American heads of households was Bohny Gaston who lived on the east side of Central Avenue (now Central Expressway) between Warren and Greer by 1898; Louis Warren, a laborer who also lived on the east side of Central by 1898; Dallas Calloway, a gardener who resided on the south side of Greer just east of Central Avenue; and Elijah J. Davis, also a gardener, who lived on the east side of Central Avenue two houses south of Spencer (now Pine) in far South Dallas. By 1905, African-American residents along Greer Avenue, east of the railroad tracks, outnumbered the white residents (city directories, 1886; 1898; 1905).
In addition to the many African-American families that lived in the area, African- American churches and schools were established several decades before the first African- American subdivisions were platted. The congregation of Romine Avenue Christian Church dates its organization in the region to 1874, and St. Paul's AME Church was established as early as 1898 on Central Avenue (McKnight and Riddle, 1987). South Park Colored School No. 2, an African-American "suburban" school on the east side of Camp Street (now Crozier), was open for classes in 1898 to the west of what became Queen City Addition (City directories). Mt. Moriah Baptist Church dates its construction on Latimer Street, in the Bermuda Lawn Addition to 1904. A school for African-American students was also established in the church. The presence of these early churches and schools indicates that there was a sizeable African-American community within walking distance. This may explain why, when suburban additions began springing up throughout South Dallas after 1902, white farmers like Pietro Sabatoni and William Jordan platted their 5- and 10-acre farms for the existing population of African-American residents in the area. Another indication of substantial early African-American settlement in the Romine Survey is that two additions in the area were platted and developed by African Americans Bohny Gaston and A. L. Moore. The Bohny Gaston Addition (1904) and Moore Addition (1907) are small, adjacent, half-block additions that bordered the H&TC railroad tracks, just south of Warren Avenue.
Although Dallas experienced a tremendous population and building boom during the 20 years that followed the arrival of the railroads in 1872, it wasn't until after the economic depressions of the mid-and late-1890s that a resurgence in construction began to spur suburban development in the Queen City area of far South Dallas. Previous development efforts in the Colonial Hill area to the west and in the South Park Addition (1898) to the north, were stymied by the depressions, but as both the national and local economy recovered, shortly after 1900, South Dallas farmers witnessed the transformation of former farmland into new suburban housing tracts, especially along the major streetcar lines. Mrs. Martha Camp (later Warren), one of the largest property owners in the region, began selling her land for several Colonial Hill additions as early as 1888 when the Ervay Street carline and Forest Avenue streetcars were extended into the area. With literally hundreds of new houses going up in nearby South Park, along the east-west Forest Avenue carline, and Colonial Hill, along the north-south Ervay Street carline, between 1902 and 1910, several South Dallas farmers such as James F. Warren and James Greer became real estate developers and platted portions of their own land for future development.
Between 1905 and 1915, more than a dozen new additions were carved out of Queen City-area farmland during a construction boom in which nearly all the suburban lands within a two-mile radius of the Dallas courthouse were developed. Among them were former farms of Phillip Peyton (Peyton's Addition), William Jordan (Jordan's Addition), James and Sarah Greer (Greer's Addition; Oak Grove; Queen City Heights), James F. Warren (Warren's Addition; Bermuda Lawn; Bristol Addition), and Pietro Sabatini (Colonial Hill Park). Although several white farmers, including Peyton and William Eason, continued to live on their land through the 1920s, from 1905 forward, nearly all the new residents in these additions were African Americans.
By 1905 much of the property between Warren Avenue on the north and Spencer (now Pine) on the south, east of the H&TC railroad tracks and west of Oakland Avenue, was poised for development. Scores of new additions were platted within those boundaries between 1904 and 1912. In addition to the Bohny Gaston (1904) and A.L. and Fanny Moore (1907) additions, the Rosedale (1905), Bermuda Lawn (1906), Mont Rose (1906), Queen City Heights (1908), Oak Grove (1911) and Elberta (1912) additions were all adjacent to one another and developed for African-American families.
Of the many African-American additions that sprang up near the meeting of Metropolitan and Atlanta streets and comprise the area now known as Queen City, the Bermuda Lawn Addition (1906) was the first to be developed. Although several other Queen City-area additions pre-date Bermuda Lawn by a year or two, African-American families had already built homes on Atlanta Street by 1903, prior to the actual filing of the plat. In 1903, C.W. Wade, an African American, was the first person listed as living on Atlanta Street in the city directory and by 1905, there were five African-American families and several "colored" churches listed on Atlanta Street, between Archie Street (now Cooper) and Greer (now Metropolitan). It wasn't until the following year, September 15, 1906, that the Bermuda Lawn plat, which included this block of Atlanta Street, was filed by Leroy and Mary Bristol and Mrs. James (Martha A.) Warren. Martha Warren was the widow of James Warren, an area farmer-turned-real-estate developer, and it was she who was responsible for the development of several white additions in South Dallas including the 39-block South Park Addition (1888, replatted 1902), north of Warren Avenue. It appears that the Bermuda Lawn Addition plat was filed after the fact, possibly in recognition of what had already occurred. Construction in Bermuda Lawn was quickly followed by development in the adjacent, 5-acre Rosedale Addition (1905), to the south. Rosedale consisted of 30 lots between Greer (now Metropolitan) and Reeves (now Romine) streets and included both sides of Atlanta Street and the east side of St. Charles (now Latimer). Although the earliest residential and institutional buildings of the Queen City additions were constructed in Bermuda Lawn and Rosedale -- including the circa 1902 St. Paul's AME and Mt. Moriah churches only Atlanta Street retains much of its historic built environment. Mt. Moriah Church has been substantially altered and a new St. Paul's AME church was constructed on Metropolitan and Latimer streets, outside the district.
Although much of the historic architectural fabric of Bermuda Lawn and Rosedale has been lost, the additions are among the earliest known, continuously inhabited African American settlements in South Dallas. Their successful development spawned other residential subdivisions for African-American families in South Dallas, including Queen City Heights (1908) and Oak Grove (1911), immediately to the south, and Wheatley Place (1916), to the east. While the Bermuda Lawn Addition contained some of the most enduring churches in the Queen City area, among them St. John Primitive Baptist Church (circa 1904), St. Paul's AME Church (1902) and Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church (circa 1904), the Rosedale Addition, while predominantly residential, contains one of the oldest surviving commercial buildings in the Queen City area, the circa 1925 Hayden Store at the northwest corner of Atlanta and Romine streets. The 2-story brick store building is one of the most significant landmarks in the Queen City area because of its construction, use, and association with one of the area's most successful early African-American businessmen, Louis Hayden.
Hayden moved to Atlanta Street in the Rosedale Addition where he purchased a house and built his first frame store by 1910. Hayden's store was the first grocery/department store for the Queen City area. By 1925, the business had expanded and Hayden built a 2- story brick store building at the corner of Atlanta and Romine streets. In 1931, Hayden's son, Al J. Hayden, as owner/contractor, acquired a permit to construct a 2-story brick addition to the store at 3739 Atlanta Street, to cost $1,000. The addition extends to the north of the original brick building which is now listed as 3741 Atlanta Street (City building permits, April 16, 1931, Dallas Public Library). By 1937, the store property owned by L.J. Hayden at Atlanta and Romine was valued at $2,700. In addition, Hayden owned six houses in the Rosedale Addition, including his own 2-story frame residence (3731 Atlanta), two shotgun-type houses to the north (3727 and 3725 Atlanta) and three small houses across the street (3720-22-24 Atlanta), as well as 20 rent houses and several commercial buildings in the half-blocks, fronting Romine and Hayden avenues, and Latimer and Hickman streets, east of Queen City Heights Addition (Bracey's edition maps, 1937). The short, unpaved street that bisected the half-blocks was named Hayden Avenue in his honor. During the late 1930s, Hayden was the single largest property owner in the Queen City area, and his store was the center of the business district that evolved along Romine Avenue at that time. Today, the brick store building at 3739-41 Atlanta Street in the Rosedale Addition is the most significant, extant building associated with Hayden. The store is considered a landmark in the Queen City area and is currently owned by the Common Ground Credit Union which is seeking funds to restore the building.
South of the Rosedale Addition, starting at Romine Avenue, lies the Queen City Heights Addition platted by Russell Realty Company in 1908. The original addition consisted of four lots facing Romine Avenue with the remaining twenty-four lots fronting on either side of Atlanta Street in a continuous row, uninterrupted by intersecting streets, between Romine Avenue and ending about two-thirds of the distance to Eugene Street (See figure 1). Russell Realty became one of the most successful early 20th-century real estate development companies in Dallas and Oak Cliff but when the Queen City Heights Addition was platted, it had only been in business for four years. Under the leadership of President Clinton P. Russell, Russell Realty was responsible for the development of a number of South Dallas additions including two in the Colonial Hill area and less than two years before, Russell Realty platted the Mont Rose Addition, to the east of Bermuda Lawn, its first subdivision specifically for African American families. Mont Rose, developed at the same time as adjacent Bermuda Lawn, does not retain its original architectural integrity to any substantial degree and is therefore not part of this nomination.
Russell Realty's success with Mont Rose, however, encouraged the company to proceed with the development of Queen City Heights, an addition that was originally part of the James Greer farm. Like most other white farmers who settled in this region of South Dallas in the 1880s, Greer was listed as a gardener in contemporary accounts (Memorial Biographies of Dallas, 1892: 1005). Greer's wife, Sarah Addarine Kearley, owned much of the neighboring farmland in her own name as it was deeded to her by Emily G. Caruth, wife of well-known Dallas property owner and real estate developer, Walter Caruth. The relationship between the two women is unknown. Sarah Greer, in turn, deeded much of her land to her children who later platted their own additions in the vicinity of Queen City (Deed records, vol. 263:415). At the turn of the century, when Dallas was on the threshold of a phenomenal period of growth, the bulk of the Greer property was only half a mile from the city limits and in the path of suburban development. Over the years, the Greers and their children sold off portions of their land for new residential developments, among them Queen City Heights, a 3-acre parcel of land immediately south of the Rosedale and Bermuda Lawn additions.
The sale and resale of the 3-acre Queen City Heights parcel are illustrative of the relative value of the investment property. In 1901, when land values were still depressed following the collapse of Dallas' speculative market, Fannie and E. M. McDade purchased the parcel that later became Queen City Heights from C.C. and Blanche Greer for $800. Less than seven years later, during the height of the post-depression building boom, Fannie McDade sold the same piece of land to Russell Realty for $2,450.00 and realized a profit of more than 300% (Deed records, vol. 421:9). Russell Realty immediately prepared the tract for new housing starts and by the following year eleven houses were completed with seven occupied. Of the first occupants, all were listed in the 1909 city directory as laborers, with the exception of a man named General Coleman who was a driver for the Waples Platter Grocery Company (City directory, 1909). All the houses were small, 1-story, 2- to 5-room wood-frame cottages with inset front porches. Although several houses were identical or reverse-plan, there were variations among them including a shotgun-type house that was later replaced. Little is known about the initial cost of the houses or if the original occupants owned them.
In 1909, the addition was still outside the city limits and city directories didn't give street addresses for the houses, only whether they were on the east or west side of the street. In fact, later city directories discontinued listing the area from about 1912 through 1916.
Two years later, when a local fruit merchant, J. M. Reilly, purchased the remaining portion of Atlanta Street to its terminus at Eugene Street, another six houses had been built and occupied in the Queen City Heights portion. Reilly paid Thomas and Jennie Greer $1,750 for the 2.027 acres of lower Atlanta Street that he platted as Oak Grove Addition (see figure 2) (Deed records, vol. 527:205). The addition is comprised of 28 lots of between 32 and 34 feet wide, somewhat narrower than those in Queen City Heights. All the lots facing Atlanta in both the Queen City Heights and Oak Grove additions were 90.5 feet deep but those in Queen City Heights ranged in width from 36 to 42 feet. Narrow lots notwithstanding, Reilly's addition sold as well as Queen City Heights. By 1920, 37 of the available 50 lots had houses. Oak Grove was much like an extension of Queen City Heights comprised primarily of small, 1-story wood frame houses. The houses conformed to the setback established in Queen City Heights and gave the two additions the appearance of a single development.
Within a few years of construction in Queen City Heights, the entire neighborhood including the older additions of Rosedale and Bermuda Lawn was known collectively as "Queen City". One possible explanation is that in 1912 a streetcar line was extended south from Forest Avenue along Myrtle Avenue, three blocks east of Atlanta Street, to serve the growing African American suburban additions. The stop at Romine Avenue, nearest the Queen City Heights Addition, was called the "Queen City" stop. The moniker became identified with the larger community which is still known as Queen City today. Institutions outside the Queen City Heights Addition, such as the Queen City Holiness Church and Queen City School (now Wheatley School) adopted the name and added to the identification of the entire area as "Queen City".
In fact, the original additions platted just prior to and including Queen City Heights and Oak Grove additions had a great impact on the surrounding region. The mere fact of their successful development during a period of intense suburban growth naturally drew other developers to purchase the adjacent tracts of farmland. That they were sold or rented exclusively to African Americans precluded any subsequent white development in the immediate area and ensured that other nearby additions would also be marketed to African Americans. During the 1910s and 1920s, the African-American community in South Dallas was centered around the churches and commercial buildings in the first Queen City additions, on Latimer, Atlanta, and Romine streets. New additions such as Wheatley Place (1916), Greer's Addition (1921) and Romine Avenue in Peyton's Addition (development circa 1926), were almost entirely residential and their residents were drawn to the Queen City area for goods and services geared to an African-American clientele. The only major African American institution in South Dallas outside the immediate Queen City vicinity before about 1928 was Wheatley School, and even it was known as Queen City School until the new brick building was constructed in 1929 (Schiebel, 1966).
While Romine Avenue businessmen, and Louis Hayden in particular, served the Queen City and surrounding additions through the 1920s and 1930s, Atlanta Street, south of Romine Avenue, remained entirely residential to the present. By 1928, the Dallas city directories denoted property ownership and the resident profile of Atlanta Street reveals that of the 37 listed houses between Romine and Eugene, 20, or 54% were owner-occupied. While the figures fluctuated somewhat during the 1930s, the percentage of owner-occupancy remained constant. In 1928 a number of Queen City residents were employed as porters, drivers and laborers with a few barbers, cooks and laundresses among them. Overall, the area that comprises the Queen City Historic District was populated with working-class African-American families, about half of whom owned their own houses. While nearby Wheatley Place housed a larger number of middle-class African-American families and Romine Avenue was home to many more professional people, Atlanta Street's working families formed the base on which these later communities would build. In many regards, the residents of Queen City additions pioneered suburban development for African Americans in South Dallas and it was their success that spawned the subsequent growth of the surrounding African American community.
The Queen City Historic District encompasses the most intact historic residential and commercial architecture from several of the earliest additions for African American people in South Dallas. The history of South Dallas' African-American community is rooted in this early suburban experiment and the surviving buildings are important pieces of the architectural fabric of its heritage.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
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.
Established in 1846, Dallas County played a crucial role in the development of North Texas. The county's namesake, George Mifflin Dallas, was the Vice President of the United States at the time. The city of Dallas, the county seat, quickly emerged as a center for trade and commerce due to its strategic location along major transportation routes.
During the late 19th century, Dallas County experienced rapid economic growth driven by industries such as cotton, railroads, and cattle. The city of Dallas became a major hub for cotton trading, attracting business and establishing itself as a prominent financial center in the Southwest.
In the 20th century, Dallas County continued to evolve and diversify its economy. The discovery of oil in the nearby East Texas Oil Field in the early 1900s led to the development of the oil industry in the region, contributing to the county's prosperity. The county also played a significant role in the aerospace industry, hosting the headquarters of major aerospace companies and contributing to the growth of aviation technology.
Dallas County's cultural landscape reflects its vibrant and diverse population. The county is home to a wide range of cultural institutions, including museums, art galleries, theaters, and music venues. Dallas County also played a notable role in the civil rights movement, with important milestones in the fight for equality and integration.
Today, Dallas County stands as a major economic and cultural center. It boasts a robust economy supported by various industries, including finance, technology, healthcare, and telecommunications. The county is known for its thriving arts scene, professional sports teams, and diverse culinary offerings.
With its rich history, economic vitality, and cultural significance, Dallas County continues to shape North Texas as a dynamic and influential region.
Dallas County Timeline
This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Dallas County, Texas.
Pre-19th Century: The area was originally inhabited by various indigenous tribes, including the Caddo, Wichita, and Comanche.
1839: Dallas County was officially established and named after George Mifflin Dallas, the Vice President of the United States under President James K. Polk.
Mid-19th Century: Dallas County experienced significant growth with the establishment of Dallas as a trading post and the arrival of settlers drawn by the opportunities in trade and agriculture.
Late 1800s: The county prospered with the expansion of railroads, particularly the Texas and Pacific Railway and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which solidified Dallas as a major transportation hub.
Early 20th Century: Dallas County saw a surge in economic development and urbanization. Industries such as oil, cotton, banking, and manufacturing fueled the city's growth.
1960s: Dallas County gained national attention due to its role in the civil rights movement. The city of Dallas was the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Late 20th Century: Dallas County continued to experience rapid growth and diversification, becoming a major center for business, finance, and telecommunications. The county is known for its vibrant arts and cultural scene, including the Dallas Arts District.
Today, Dallas County is the second-most populous county in Texas and home to the city of Dallas, a thriving metropolitan area.