Freedmans Town was established shortly after the Civil War as a place for ex-slaves to live and work. It has had a colorful history, with restaurants, Jazz halls, and other establishments reaching their high point in the 1930's. Recently, with the thrust for urban renewal close to downtown, the property has become more and more valuable.

One set of 10 row houses on Victor Street, called shotgun shacks, are scheduled to be razed in the near future for development of upscale condos and apartment units. These shacks were built in 1914, and housed poor African Americans. I believe these houses have a lot of historical significance to our city, and I am working with Mr. Leonard Johnson to see if we can save and restore these houses for future generations to learn the early life in Houston.

The layout of a shotgun house is to have one room wide, and doors to each room on one side of the house. That way, air can pass through easily without being stopped by any wall, and therefore allowing more circulation. The term "shotgun" is interesting, although the origin is controversial. One definition is that you could shoot a shotgun from the front door, and none of the pellets would hit a wall before exiting the back door. Shotgun houses have been restored in several cities, such as New Orleans, Mobile Alabama, and Tupelo Mississippi (Elvis Presley's original home). However, Houston has a reputation of bulldozing history down to make room for the new. I hope to help in saving this part of our city's history.