Houston History Post Oak School: Third Ward

The third ward is a deeply historic part of Houston whose legacy is not only apparent in the city, but throughout the country as well. Serving as a social hub for black Houstonians from as early as the 1800s, the third ward reflects the culture and struggle of the black community. The third ward’s musical scene has produced household names in such as Beyoncé and Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins, while its roots in slavery-era America produced “Juneteenth”, a celebration on June nineteenth that commemorates the freeing of slaves in the south after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

One of the places in third ward that we learn about on our tour was Dowling Street, a main street that runs through third ward that used to be a hub for entertainment and commerce. Over the years, Dowling Street has made some bad and good changes, as it no longer contains many businesses and entertainment centers like it used to. On the other hand, the Houston government recently approved the name Dowling Street be changed to Emancipation Avenue, as Dowling was a confederate general. Another significant place in third ward is the Eldorado Ballroom, which used to be a dancing club and event center that was wildly popular among black Houstonians.

Just outside of third ward is Sugarhill Studios, a famous recording studio that many iconic Houstonians, such as Destiny’s Child, Willie Nelson, and Lightnin’ Hopkins recorded in. It continues to play a huge role in the Houston music scene as the oldest recording studio still in use. We were able to see the bigger one of their two studios, learn about machinery and techniques they use for recording and manipulating sound.

Our experience in the third ward was not only informative, but it also broke many stereotypes we had about the area. Often, the third ward is talked about as a “ghetto” or “sketchy” area, its history and contribution to Houston being overlooked. Being one of the oldest parts of the city, third ward not only has a rich history but has also produced iconic events and people not only well known in Houston, but across the world.