Two historic Black churches that have anchored their neighborhoods for generations are now officially Houston’s protected landmarks.
As development reshapes Houston’s neighborhoods, city leaders have stepped in to preserve parts of the city’s past.
The City Council advanced these designations that preservationists say reflect both Houston’s changing neighborhoods and the communities that built them.
Among the newly designated sites are two historically Black churches: The Greater Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Third Ward and the Greater Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in the Heights.
Others include historic homes, such as two early 20th-century houses on Alamo Street, a Tudor Revival home on Milford Street known as West Edgemont’s Dream House, and the Alan and Hattie Green House near Rice University.
Honoring communities of the past
For Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, whose district includes Greater Rose Hill, the vote was about honoring institutions that have long anchored Black Houston.
“The church has been there for a long time… before I was an adult,” Evans-Shabazz said. “It’s warranted that we honor our historic buildings and institutions.”
She noted that preserving historically Black churches is also about protecting culture.
“Not only does it preserve the heritage, it preserves the building for the community… a lot of times these buildings are torn down,” she added.
Buildings serve as community anchors
Emily Ardoin, preservation services director at Preservation Houston, said the church’s designation comes at a critical moment.
“These are both in neighborhoods that are seeing a lot of rapid change,” Ardoin said of Rose Hill and Pleasant Hill.
Around Greater Rose Hill, she noted, vacant lots and older buildings are increasingly being replaced by new development.
Historic institutions like churches, she said, help keep neighborhoods recognizable as they evolve.
Properties like Riverside Hospital in the area are significant to the history of both the Black and medical communities in Houston. It was the first nonprofit hospital for Black patients and provided a place for Black physicians to work, who were not allowed to admit patients to the “Black Wards” of Houston’s other hospitals.
“These places have always served as really important community anchors,” Ardoin said. “Now a lot of congregations are getting smaller, but this will ensure that the buildings at least will remain as reminders of the history of the neighborhood and the community.”
Pastors welcome the move
Valgene Holmes, pastor at the Greater Rose Hill Baptist Church, said the designation is deeply meaningful, especially at a time when he believes history is being erased in other ways.
“They’re changing the books that we read… They want to put that under a rug and say that’s not important,” Holmes said. “Yes, it is important… That’s part of who we are. That’s part of who the United States is. And you can’t cover it up like that.”
Holmes sees the landmark status as one way to make sure the church’s legacy and the broader Black history it represents cannot be ignored.
Holmes said the process did not create a financial burden for the congregation.
“As far as money-wise, it hasn’t cost us anything,” he said, crediting Preservation Houston with helping the church assemble the research and documentation required for the nomination. “The biggest portion is time and effort.”
Nisha Harris, a congregation member, said the church, which has been around for more than 120 years, has long been intertwined with community life.
“We do different things for the community, such as having back-to-school drives, give out Thanksgiving baskets… just various outreach for the community,” Harris said.
Across town at Greater Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, members are also celebrating.
Pastor James Hunter Jr. said the designation gives the church “a sense of security.”
While new condos have risen nearby, he believes the century-old landmark plaque will draw attention to the church’s history rather than overshadow it.
“The landmark itself will be attached to the front. It’s gonna draw some eyes to that church,” Hunter said.
He added that the congregation is focused on restoration, such as the roof, the church foundation, and the fellowship hall, but not on major additions that would trigger additional city review.
A history steeped in culture
Beyond the churches, the designations also highlight the city’s immigrant and architectural history.
Ardoin said the two houses on Alamo Street were built by Sicilian immigrants, and one later housed a Greek immigrant when that area had a strong Greek presence.
The Milford Street home stands out as a Tudor Revival example and is tied to an early neighborhood marketing campaign run through a naming contest in the Houston Post.
Under Houston’s preservation ordinance, protected landmark status comes with strong safeguards.
Exterior changes visible from the street must undergo review to ensure historic features remain intact, and demolition is largely prohibited.
Ardoin said nominations are typically initiated by property owners, researched and submitted to the city’s preservation office, reviewed by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, and then sent to the City Council for a final vote. Each designation is adopted as its own ordinance.
For leaders and members of the newly designated churches, the recognition is about fostering a collective memory of the neighborhoods where change is inevitable.
“Our role is to try to help the community understand that we’re still here,” Holmes said, “the wonderful accomplishments that we’ve achieved, and we will continue to achieve.”
