History of the neighborhood

Riverside Terrace is the name given to the South MacGregor portion of the Houston neighborhood known as Riverside (which extended to Wheeler on the North MacGregor side of Braes Bayou). In the 1930’s, many of the city’s most prominent Jewish families settled in Riverside and it became known as the “Jewish River Oaks.”

In 1952, a black family moved to Riverside and the home was subsequently bombed. This was the beginning of “white flight” from Riverside, and realtors were making lots of money trying to scare people into moving. However, during the 60’s, many blacks and whites who lived here joined together to promote a stable, integrated neighborhood, and Riverside Terrace was full of signs that stated: “This is OUR HOME, IT IS NOT FOR SALE.”

In 1978, the son of one of theoriginal Jewish families, Jon Schwartz, produced and directed a 3-hour documentary on the 60-year history of this neighborhood. It has received rave reviews despite its 3-hour length. At no time does Mr. Schwartz appear or speak on camera; it consists of taped interviews of residents, former and current. When it first came out, it was seen in local theaters. Since then there have been screenings at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston Library, and other venues. It may be rented from the downtown library or purchased from the Museum of Fine Arts. It may also be purchased directly from Mr. Schwartz through the website: www.thisisourhomeitisnotforsale.com which also shows excerpts and photos from the film.

Other links to articles about the history of Riverside Terrace can be found on Wikipedia (search for Riverside Terrace, Houston).