History · Houston

Houston has 292 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #37 of 642 in Texas. What drives it

Dated to 1836 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history), with 4% of its homes built before 1940 and 16 historic districts holding 2,329 contributing buildings. Most of Houston was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1982. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, the census since 1850, and every listing on the Register.

1836founded

292on the National Register

4%homes built before 1940

10old photos & papers

31famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Houston’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Houston began

When was Houston founded?

1836

Houston dates its founding to 1836 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 2,396 in 18502020 census: 2,304,580190 years

How historic is Houston?

A⁻

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Houston’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Houston is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #37 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A⁻

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Houston’s overall grade.

Founding era1836, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA⁻Homes built before 19404.0% of homes (±0.2) · typical TX town 1.6% · U.S. 8.4%C National Register292 listings, 2,329 historic buildings, 10.0 per 10,000 residents · typical TX town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%

NewerOlder

Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 94%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Houston ranks #144 on History.

Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Houston’s 10.0 sits above most of its state (86% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 2,329 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1836. A citywide figure averages neighborhoods that differ a lot.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Houston’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark292 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks.A historic districtThe Freedmen's Town Historic District takes in 530 historic buildings.Lost villages19 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Houston, and 353 old place names are still on the map.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1885 to 1907, drew every building in Houston.

★ What stands out · On the National Register

292 listings protect 2,329 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 4 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed

292

National Historic Landmarks

San Jacinto Battlefield

historic buildings protected

2,329

each building in a district counts

first listed

1966

San Jacinto Battlefield

BuildingsDistrictsSitesStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival55

Queen Anne44

Vernacular16

Bungalow13

Classical Revival6

Italian Renaissance6

★ Landmark

San Jacinto BattlefieldSite

★ Landmark

U.s.s. Texas. The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 76002039_NHL

★ Landmark

Apollo Mission Control CenterBuilding

★ Landmark

Space Environment Simulation LaboratoryStructure

1884 Houston Cotton Exchange BuildingVictorian Commercial Structure

Sweeney, Coombs & Fredericks BuildingVictorian Commercial Structure

U.S. CustomhouseSecond Renaissance Revival

Kellum-Noble HouseGreek Revival

All 292 listings

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Houston’s post office has been open since 1837. 19 other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Houston

1837–today

San Jacinto

1847–1866

Harrisburgh

1853–1927

Pierce Junction

1876–1878

Chalmers

1882–1884

Addicks

1884–1971

Klein

1884–1906

Green's Bayou

1887–1890

Genoa

1892–1962

Lakeside

1892–1895

18301930today

Hamlets and corners on the map

AddicksAirline EstatesAliefAllen FarmsAllendaleAlmedaAlmeda GenoaAlmeda ManorAlmeda PlazaAlrionAntoine Forest EstatesArbor OaksArlington HeightsArmstrong PlaceAshford ForestAshford ParkAshford VillageAtascocita WestBammelBarclay PlaceBarkerBarkley CircleBarkley Square SouthBay Glen

Gone or out of use

Andrau AirparkairportClear Lake Oil FieldoilfieldConoco HeliportairportEllington Air Force BasemilitaryFriendswood Oil FieldoilfieldGoodyear Airship Operations AirportairportHarris County Courthouse HeliportairportHeights Post Officepost officeHoffpauir AirportairportKurio HeliportairportMykawa Oil FieldoilfieldNE Police Station Number 2 HeliportairportPin Oak Stables HeliportairportRayford Oil FieldoilfieldRosewood General HospitalhospitalWestbury Hospitalhospital

35family graveyards and cemeteries inside Houston

Adath EmethAdath IsraelAliefBakerBeth ElBeth JacobBeth YeshurunCemetery BeautifulCollege Memorial ParkDaggDeZavallaEmanuel Memorial ParkEvergreenForest ParkForest ParkGenoaGlendaleGlenwoodHarris CountyHollywoodHollywoodHoly CrossJacksonMagnoliaMemorial OaksOak ParkParadise NorthRestlawnRicevilleSaint JosephSaint VincentWashingtonWestcottWoodlawnWunsche

See all 35

Adath Emeth Cemetery · Adath Israel Cemetery · Alief Cemetery · Baker Cemetery · Beth El Cemetery · Beth Jacob Cemetery · Beth Yeshurun Cemetery · Cemetery Beautiful · College Memorial Park Cemetery · Dagg Cemetery · DeZavalla Cemetery · Emanuel Memorial Park · Evergreen Cemetery · Forest Park Cemetery · Forest Park Cemetery · Genoa Cemetery · Glendale Cemetery · Glenwood Cemetery · Harris County Cemetery · Hollywood Cemetery · Hollywood Cemetery · Holy Cross Cemetery · Jackson Cemetery · Magnolia Cemetery · Memorial Oaks Cemetery · Oak Park Cemetery · Paradise North Cemetery · Restlawn Cemetery · Riceville Cemetery · Saint Joseph Cemetery · Saint Vincent Cemetery · Washington Cemetery · Westcott Cemetery · Woodlawn Cemetery · Wunsche Cemetery

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Houston came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Houston.

Read it all →

Present-day Houston sits on land that was once occupied by the Karankawa and the Atakapa indigenous peoples for at least 2,000 years before the first known settlers arrived. These tribes are almost nonexistent today; this was most likely caused by foreign disease, and competition with various settler groups in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the land then remained largely uninhabited from the late 1700s until settlement in the 1830s.

ChaptersEarly settlement to the 20th century World War II to the late 20th century Early 21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Houston, 1895–1912

Passages that mention Houston, cut from the printed page as they were published.

for what, but for his untimely death, would unquestionably have proved one of the most colossal fortunes in Texas. As time and chance have determined, the city of Houston was the most important of these enterprises, but it was only one of the many. The Allen brothers, at the time they projected the… — **History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston**1895 · page 261Read the page →
Read the text
for what, but for his untimely death, would unquestionably have proved one of the most colossal fortunes in Texas. As time and chance have determined, the city of Houston was the most important of these enterprises, but it was only one of the many. The Allen brothers, at the time they projected the town of Houston, owned a controlling in-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

were often residents of and visitors to the little new town on the bayou. Where these events relate to Texas rather than to Houston history they can not even be categoried. San Jacinto had been fought before Houston was founded, and the events of the following years were mainly those of frontier gr… — **Standard history of Houston, Texas**1912 · page 33Read the page →
Read the text
were often residents of and visitors to the little new town on the bayou. Where these events relate to Texas rather than to Houston history they can not even be categoried. San Jacinto had been fought before Houston was founded, and the events of the following years were mainly those of frontier growth all over Texas although the country was causing one of the prettiest diplomatic webs to be woven in the history of the American continent and England, France, Germany and other
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

In the fall of this year, 1836, the city of Houston was laid out, and in December of the same year, Mr. Woodruff and family moved to the new city. At that time there were no houses, not even tents; so they camped, where the city of Houston now is, until a house could be built for them. There was no… — **History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston**1895 · page 634Read the page →
Read the text
In the fall of this year, 1836, the city of Houston was laid out, and in December of the same year, Mr. Woodruff and family moved to the new city. At that time there were no houses, not even tents; so they camped, where the city of Houston now is, until a house could be built for them. There was no house of any kind for the use of men
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

The San Antonio and Arkansas Pass Railroad runs its trains into the Grand Central depot. The company owns property in Harris County amounting to $593,150. It is one of the most important of Houston's railroads. Its main offices are in San Antonio, but it keeps a good force here. Its local pay rolls… — **Standard history of Houston, Texas**1912 · page 242Read the page →
Read the text
The San Antonio and Arkansas Pass Railroad runs its trains into the Grand Central depot. The company owns property in Harris County amounting to $593,150. It is one of the most important of Houston's railroads. Its main offices are in San Antonio, but it keeps a good force here. Its local pay rolls for 1910 were : in freight and passenger departments, $19,927.25 ; shops and roundhouses, $11,326.15; in yards and to train men, $20,312.59 ; to all others, $9,573.30.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Houston, 1836 to 1952

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

19th century
1836
FoundingHouston is established
1837Post officeThe Houston post office opens
1845In the archiveCity of Houston - The Capitol of Texas
1847Post officeThe San Jacinto post office opens
1853Post officeThe Harrisburgh post office opens
1866Post officeThe San Jacinto post office closes
1879In the archiveHoustion fireman's parade
1888In the archiveHouston, Texas Owney tag, c. 1888 - 1897, from the National Postal Museum - NPM-0 052985 …
1893In the archiveNicholas Clayton's plan to remodel the facade of Annunciation Church
20th century
1904In the archiveHTC cotton
1909BuiltScanlan Building is built
1910In the archivePanoram of
1912BuiltJames L. Autry House is built
1916On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1921BuiltHogg Building is built
1927Post officeThe Harrisburgh post office closes
1936Born hereRobert Wilson is born here
1952Born herePatrick Swayze is born here

By decade

Houston, decade by decade

6 decades in the archive, from the 1840s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1840s–1890s7 items

1845City of Houston - The Capitol of Texas

1879Houstion fireman's parade

Houston, Texas Owney tag, c. 1888 - 1897, from the National Postal Museum - NPM-0 052985 469e

c. 1888Houston, Texas Owney tag, c. 1888 - 1897, from the Na…

Nicholas Clayton's plan to remodel the facade of Annunciation Church

1893Nicholas Clayton's plan to remodel the facade of Annu…

1897Judge jab died

1899ASI Agenzia Spaziale Italiana

1900s–1910s3 items

1904HTC cotton

1904Cotton scene

1910Panoram of

1920s–1990snothing yet

Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Add from your album

On the map

Houston on the map, 1916 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Houston. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1916Settegast sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Houston.

Every building

Houston, building by building, 1885–1907

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Houston fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 1

1885Sheet 1 of 15

Edition

Sheets

+14 more at the Library of Congress

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewCity of Houston - The Capitol of Texas, 1845

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Houston’s page.

Retake this view · +15

People over time

Houston, census by census

Grew from 2,396 people in 1850 to 2,304,580 in 2020, more than tenfold.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Houston’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

31 famous people were born in Houston

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Hilary DuffAmerican actress and singer · b. 1987

Jennifer GarnerAmerican actress · b. 1972

Robert WilsonAmerican astronomer · b. 1936

Patrick SwayzeAmerican actor, producer, singer and dancer · b. 1952

Howard HughesAmerican aviator, engineer, industrialist, and … · b. 1905

Kenny RogersAmerican country singer · b. 1938

Help out

Finish Houston’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewCity of Houston - The Capitol of Texas: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

ChannelviewIts storyD Spring1 historic placeC AtascocitaIts storyD Mission BendIts storyD FresnoIts storyD Cinco RanchIts storyD PearlandIts storyD Pasadena3 historic placesC HumbleIts storyC Four CornersIts storyD

Questions about Houston’s history

What year was Houston founded?

In 1836, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Houston’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1850 counted 2,396 people here.

How does Houston rank for history?

Houston is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #37 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Houston?

292 listings, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks: 258 buildings, 16 historic districts with 2,029 contributing buildings, 3 sites, and 15 structures. 2,329 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Houston?

4% of Houston’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1982.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (9), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (292), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Houston has 292 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks

How Houston began

When was Houston founded?

How historic is Houston?

What drives Houston’s History grade

What stands out about Houston’s past

292 listings protect 2,329 historic buildings

Architectural styles listings

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

How Houston came to be

What they wrote about Houston, 1895–1912

Houston, 1836 to 1952

Houston, decade by decade

Houston on the map, 1916 to 1995

Houston, building by building, 1885–1907

Stand where they stood

Houston, census by census

31 famous people were born in Houston

Finish Houston’s story

History across the town line

Questions about Houston’s history

Memory lane

Where this page comes from