The Bernard and Ann Sakowitz residences in Houston

One year ago this week Houstonians mourned the loss of 96-year-old socialite Ann Baum Sakowitz.  Her husband Bernard, who grew up on West Main Street here and inherited his dad’s clothing store, died thirty years ago at the age of seventy-four. They are both buried in the Beth Israel Cemetery on West Dallas Street.

Bernard and Ann were married in 1933 and made their home near Rice Institute, in the 2100 block of Sunset Boulevard.  That house was demolished and replaced in 2002, and we were not able to find any photos of it.

Photo by PaperCity Magazine

Shortly after their first child was born in 1935, they moved to a 10,000 square foot Colonial mansion on six acres in the Riverside Terrace area.  Their address was 3533 North MacGregor Way.  Today that site is occupied by the North MacGregor Arms Apartments.

3533 North MacGregor Way, 1940s
photo by PaperCity Magazine

They raised their two children, Lynn and Bobby, in Riverside Terrace.  In those days, Jewish families were not allowed in River Oaks so many of the wealthy ones built their mansions along the “other” bayou on the other side of town. After the kids grew up and left home, the Sakowitzes moved again, this time to a 5,300 square foot condo at 5050 Woodway.  This property is currently for sale, listed at nearly half a million dollars. 

Sakowitz living room at 5050 Woodway
photo by Jack Thompson

Bernard, Ann, Lynn and Bobby all made their mark on Houston, each in his/her own way.  We take this opportunity to honor the elder couple and send our best wishes to their descendants. 

The Henderson mansion on West 11th Place

Way out Main Street in the 1920s, near Rice Institute, impressive homes were built for many of Houston’s movers and shakers.  One such neighborhood consisted of six houses on a cul-de-sac christened West 11^th Place.  By 1926, it was home to Ross Stewart of Stewart & Stevenson fame, Rice Civics professor J.W. Slaughter, oilman William V. Bowles, lumberman Thomas W. Blake, oil engineer Willard C. Averill Jr. and cotton baron Robert Wilson Henderson.

Photos by Joe Lucia

Henderson was a native Texan from Navarro County who married Loise Jackson in 1916.  They lived on Hathaway Street for a few years until their home was built.  Robert was president of Henderson Cotton Company, which was located at 2800 Roanoke Street in the Fifth Ward.  They joined a local Methodist church and were active for decades, eventually donating their hunting lodge property in Montgomery County to be used as a retreat center. 

He and Loise had one daughter, a cook, a chauffeur, and a nurse who lived on the premises.  We couldn’t locate a photo of Robert or Loise, but here is the obituary of their daughter (also named Loise) who probably grew up in this house. 

And such a lovely place it is!  Henderson’s two-story traditional home was built at #5 West 11^th in 1920.  It has more than 4,000 square feet with four bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, a two-car detached garage with quarters, two staircases and a wood-burning fireplace.  It is valued at $2.2 million and is currently on the market with plans to subdivide the lot.

Please leave a comment if you know anything further about this family or the Henderson Cotton Company.  Thanks. 

When George Foreman lived in Houston

One of Houston’s notable former residents is venerable George Foreman, who grew up in the Bloody Fifth Ward in the 1950s.  Since he’s having a birthday on Monday, we decided to do a little research on the actual house or houses where he lived.

Any simple Google search will reveal the names of George’s parents, (J.D. and Nancy) so we searched through city directories, real estate records, voter registrations and other public records to find any addresses in the Fifth Ward.

In 1955, when George was six years old, Mrs. Nancy R. Foreman was listed as an employee of Jean’s Café, living in a rented house on Erastus Street.  This house has apparently been torn down to make room for expansion of the Southern Pacific railroad yard off Liberty Road.  There was another listing in this same year for J.D. and Nancy a few blocks away on Rawley Street.  This address is now a vacant lot.

                                                         Photo courtesy of George Foreman

By the time George was twelve, Nancy was working at the OST Café and living on King Street a couple of blocks south of Lyons Avenue.  That location is now part of the feeder road for Interstate 10 between Lockwood and Waco. 

We wish we could have found a house to photograph, but unfortunately all three addresses are now defunct.  Suffice it to say that George Foreman grew up in a neighborhood that has gone through many changes in the decades since he left.  Nancy passed away in 1998, and there are few traces of this Foreman family left in the Houston area.

Happy Birthday George.  We hope you have 60-odd more!

Welcome

Welcome to Hovels to Haciendas: Homes of Historic Houstonians.  Here you will find articles about the houses and personal lives of selected residents and former residents of Houston, Texas.  These are not necessarily historic homes; nor are they always large and fancy.  They range from shabby apartments to mansions, but they were all home to at least one famous or infamous individual.

Houston has its share of politicians, celebrities, renowned scholars, prominent businessmen, historic characters, infamous criminals and leading citizens.  Our aim is to document where they lived and reminisce about their family lives.

Browse around, enjoy the site as it grows, and e-mail the author at goodsearch@aol.com if you have suggestions. 

About the Author

Marie Brannon grew up in the Houston area in the 1950s and has been interested in its history “forever”.  She writes a local history column for Examiner.com, where you can find articles about such topics as the Foley’s Christmas windows, the establishment of Westmoreland Farms in the 1920s, the Astrodome scoreboard, and the Weingarten mansion on South McGregor.  Click here to browse around over there.

In her other life, Marie is a self-employed bookbinder.  She repairs and restores old books, including Bibles, yearbooks, children’s books, etc.  She is married and currently lives in west Pearland.