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}}Template:Main other Spring Branch is a district in west-northwest Harris County, Texas, United States, roughly bordered by Tanner Road and Hempstead Road to the north, Beltway 8 to the west, Interstate 10 to the south, and the 610 Loop to the east; it is almost entirely within the city of Houston.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} ()</ref> Established by the Texas Legislature, the Spring Branch Management District exercises jurisdiction over the area.
Several minor bayous run through the community, including Brickhouse Gully, Spring Branch (the neighborhood namesake), and Briar Branch, which drain into Buffalo Bayou in central Houston. Spring Lake is a large pond near the center of the neighborhood.
Spring Branch includes significant immigrant Korean American and Hispanic American communities,<ref name="SeoulofHouston">Lomax, John Nova. "The Seoul of Houston: The Weather Was Not the Strong Point on Long Point." Houston Press. January 30, 2008.</ref> and was established in the 1800s as a rural German American community. As of 2020 Spring Branch East/West population has grown by 7,298 residents and over 400 new construction homes built.
HistoryEdit
Spring Branch began as a religious German farmer settlement; many of the farmers owned dairies. Karl Kolbe, who arrived in Texas from Germany in 1830, was Spring Branch's earliest settler.<ref name="HandbookSB">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="CityOfHoustonSN85">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Germans opened sawmills to cut area timber.<ref name="HuntersCreekHandb">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1848, St. Peter's United (Lutheran) Church opened on a site donated from the Bauer family; the lumber used in the construction originated from one of the local sawmills. The Spring Branch School Society, sponsored by the church in 1856, eventually became the Spring Branch Independent School District.<ref name="HandbookSB"/>
Yellow fever outbreaks in 1859 and 1867 killed many residents.<ref name=GrayStPeterReborn>Template:Cite news</ref>
The early settlers all had roads named after their families – Gessner, Conrad Sauer, Witte, Wirt, Blalock, Campbell, Hillendahl, Bauer, Fries, and Neuens.Template:Citation needed
After World War II James E. Lyon served as a developer in Spring Branch.<ref>Template:Cite news - Available from the Houston Public Library website, newspapers sectiom. Accessible with an HPL library card and its PIN.</ref>
The eastern part of Spring Branch was annexed by the City of Houston in the 1940s while the western part was annexed in the 1950s.<ref>"Annexations in Houston Or How we grew to 667 square miles in 175 years." City of Houston Planning and Development Department. p. 27 and 32 of 62. Retrieved on February 21, 2017.</ref> In the mid-1950s, efforts to create a Spring Branch municipality failed. Following this, the Memorial villages, a group of six independent municipalities, formed.<ref name="HandbookSB"/> Houston annexed the rest of the Spring Branch area.<ref name="SeoulofHouston"/> In the mid-to-late 20th century, Spring Branch had a rural suburban character with dirt roads and horses in the area. Spring Branch Elementary School, one of several area elementary schools, was an all-White elementary school.<ref name="CynthiaGarzaLeonor">Garza, Cynthia Leonor. "Views are as diverse as city / Day-to-day life shapes residents' stances on illegal immigration." Houston Chronicle. April 16, 2006. B1 MetFront.</ref>
Apartment complexes opened in the Spring Branch area around the 1970s.<ref name="Drugsneglectslums">Cobb, Kim. "Drugs, neglect transform 'single scene' to slums." Houston Chronicle. July 17, 1988. Section 3, Page 1.</ref> In 1982, the City of Houston Housing Authority proposed a $3.8 million U.S. dollar public housing unit at Emnora Lane. The city encountered strong opposition from civic clubs, city council members, and state representatives, so the city housing officials canceled the project. The sign used by the city to indicate the proposed site repeatedly received spray paint graffiti stating "no niggers."<ref>Rodriguez, Lori. "$5.7 million to go toward public housing." Houston Chronicle. January 24, 1989. A1.</ref>
By the 1980s, Houston's economy had collapsed and occupancy rates declined. Many apartment complexes faced foreclosure, bankruptcy, and changes in ownership. Bill Zermeno, a city electrical inspector, said in a 1988 Houston Chronicle article that many of the apartments with some of the strongest violations against maintenance-related city laws were in Spring Branch. Kim Cobb, the author of the 1988 Houston Chronicle article, said that many of the poorly maintained complexes were located next to well-maintained single family subdivisions.<ref name="Drugsneglectslums"/>
From the 1980 U.S. Census to the 1990 Census, many Hispanics settled in parts of Spring Branch; in pockets of Spring Branch almost all of the immigration was from Central American countries. The Hispanic population increased by an amount between 1,000 and 3,500 per square mile.<ref>Rodriguez, Lori. "Census tracks rapid growth of suburbia Template:Webarchive." Houston Chronicle. March 10, 1991. Section A, Page 1.</ref> In 1997 S.D. Kim, the Houston bureau chief of The Korea Times, said that Koreatown, the Korean community in Spring Branch, grew because of inexpensive housing and the zoning to the Spring Branch Independent School District.<ref>Nichols, Bruce. "TAKING OFF Houston's Asian communities growing rapidly." The Dallas Morning News. June 29, 1997.</ref> In 1998 and again in 2001, a proposal to place Korean language street signs in Koreatown lead to political controversy; the reaction against the proposal lead to the withdrawal of the proposal.<ref>"Korean street sign flap revisited." Associated Press. July 22, 2001.</ref><ref>Lartigue, Casey. "Signs of Insecurity." Cato Institute. June 19, 1999.</ref> By 2006, Spring Branch Elementary School was mostly Hispanic, reflecting demographic changes in the Spring Branch area.<ref name="CynthiaGarzaLeonor"/> By 2007 several older houses were torn down and replaced with newer houses; new homeowners came to Spring Branch to buy larger lots, to buy in an area cheaper than neighborhoods bordering Downtown Houston. New residents came due to the proximity to Downtown, Uptown, and the Energy Corridor.<ref>Jackson, Kim. "Spring Branch enjoys growth / New, larger homes replace decades-old structures." Houston Chronicle. July 26, 2007. ThisWeek 10. Retrieved on March 28, 2009.</ref>
In May 2011 the Spring Branch Central Super Neighborhood campaigned against having federal funds used to improve older apartment complexes in the area.<ref>Fehling, Dave. "Spring Branch-area homeowners fight federal help for old apartments Template:Webarchive." KHOU. May 23, 2011. Retrieved on May 28, 2011.</ref>
In 2013 Houstonia magazine stated that Spring Branch, including the adjacent cities of Hillshire Village and Spring Valley Village, was one of the "25 Hottest Neighborhoods" of Houston.<ref name=HoustoniaHottestNeighborhoods>Holley, Peter, John Lomax, and Todd Spoth. "25 Hottest Neighborhoods" (Archive). Houstonia. June 1, 2013. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.</ref>
On May 5, 2016, a four alarm fire occurred on May 5, 2016, in Houston's Spring Branch area, not to be confused with the municipality of Spring Branch, TX, north of San Antonio Texas<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On November 24, 2022, a gunman opened fire and shot four people, two fatally during Thanksgiving in the Spring Branch neighborhood.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
CityscapeEdit
Spring Branch is generally bounded by Beltway 8 on the western end, the 610 Loop on the eastern end, Interstate 10 on the southern end, and U.S. Highway 290 and Tanner Road to the north.<ref>Meeks, Flori. "Community - Fight failed to make Spring Branch a city - Proposal to incorporate followed by establishment of Memorial Villages." Houston Chronicle, September 20, 2012. ThisWeek p. 1. Available on Newsbank, Record Number 14919922. Available at the Houston Public Library with a library card. "In 1957, the city of Houston annexed the remaining areas now known as Spring Branch. The community's boundaries today are roughly Tanner Road and U.S. 290 to the north, Beltway 8 to the west, Interstate 10 to the south and the 610 Loop to the east."</ref>
The district has access to Interstate 10, the 610 Loop, Beltway 8, and the Hempstead Highway. The district is in proximity to Downtown Houston, the Energy Corridor, the Memorial City District (including Memorial City Mall and the Memorial Hermann Hospital Memorial City), the Texas Medical Center, Uptown Houston (including The Galleria), and Westchase.<ref>"About the District Template:Webarchive." Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on May 14, 2010.</ref>
Terrence McCoy of the Houston Press said in 2012 that in Spring Branch "[a]venues lined with orderly yards and American flags buttress shopping centers where Spanish dominates."<ref name="McCoy2">McCoy, Terrence. "Who's Behind Helena Brown?" Houston Press. July 4, 2012. 2. Retrieved on July 25, 2012.</ref>
As of 2012 there are different varieties of housing in Spring Branch. Spring Branch West includes many 1960s ranch-style houses. The central portion of Spring Branch has houses which are worth about $500,000 as of 2012. The eastern portion of Spring Branch, which is blue collar, has many bungalow houses with wood siding. Houstonia wrote that "Up until [the 2000s] or so, much of Spring Branch had a rural feel. It wasn’t uncommon to see pastures full of horses, relics of its past life as farmland tilled by generations of German immigrants".<ref name=HoustoniaHottestNeighborhoods/>
In 1983 there were a travel agent, an optical shop, multiple restaurants, a newsstand, a bookstore, a pharmacy, and a furniture store in Spring Branch catering to Koreans.<ref name=CookGrantTourp144>Cook, Allison. "The Grand Tour." Texas Monthly. Emmis Communications, January 1983. Vol. 11, No. 1. ISSN 0148-7736. START: p. 98. CITED: p. 144.</ref>
EconomyEdit
John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press said that Spring Branch has many "old-school ethnic eateries" and described Long Point Road, Spring Branch's main road, as "thrift store nirvana". The journalist added that Long Point has few chain businesses and stores.<ref name="SeoulofHouston"/> The Koreatown portion has various Korean restaurants.<ref>Pham, Mai. "A Mini Food Tour Through Korea Town." Houston Press. December 3, 2011. Retrieved on February 10, 2016.</ref>
La Michoacana Meat Market has its headquarters in Spring Branch and in Houston.<ref>"Updated February 18, 2010.Template:Dead link." La Michoacana Meat Market. Retrieved on August 18, 2011. "Office" "8845 Long Point Rd., Suite B" "Houston" "77005"</ref> BJ Services Company has its headquarters in the Spring Branch district and in unincorporated Harris County.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"Global Locations." BJ Services Company. July 3, 2007. Retrieved on December 8, 2009.</ref> Tesco Corporation has its headquarters in the Spring Branch district and in Houston.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"Contact Us Template:Webarchive." Tesco Corporation. Retrieved on January 23, 2010.</ref> Cameron International Corporation's Drilling and Production Systems center is in the Westway Business Park in Spring Branch and in an unincorporated area.<ref>"Cameron Locator Template:Webarchive." Cameron International Corporation. Retrieved on April 28, 2010.</ref><ref>"Cameron Headquarters Building Template:Webarchive." Hines Interests Limited Partnership. Retrieved on June 2, 2010.</ref>
Previously, Igloo Corporation had a manufacturing facility in Spring Branch.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref name="IglooHQ">"Igloo consolidating operations in Katy facility." Houston Business Journal. October 18, 2004. Retrieved on March 2, 2011. "1001 W. Sam Houston Parkway North" for the old Houston facility</ref> The Spring Branch location also housed the company headquarters.<ref>Herman, Erik L. The Houston Job Bank. Adams Media Corporation, 2003. "IGLOO PRODUCTS CORPORATION 1001 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston TX 77013." Retrieved on March 3, 2011. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN.</ref> In 2004, Igloo announced that it was consolidating to a location in unincorporated Waller County, Texas, near Katy.<ref name="IglooHQ"/><ref>"Igloo Worldwide Headquarters Template:Webarchive." Igloo Corporation. Accessed September 5, 2008. "Igloo Products Corp. 777 Igloo Road Katy, Texas 77494"</ref>
Before its dissolution, Weiner's had its headquarters in Spring Branch and in Houston.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"Home Page." Weiner's. October 5, 2000. Retrieved on February 25, 2010.</ref> At one time, AppleTree Markets had its headquarters in Spring Branch and in Houston.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"Directors and Executives." Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives, Volume 2. Standard & Poor's, 1995. 637. Retrieved from Google Books on July 1, 2010. "Appletree Markets, Inc., 4301 Windfern, Houston, TX 77041."</ref>
By 2008 a Super H Mart supermarket, a part of a Korean American chain, opened. Purva Patel of the Houston Chronicle wrote that this supermarket attracted development to the area.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Diplomatic missionsEdit
The Consulate-General of El Salvador in Houston resides at 1720 Hillendahl Boulevard in Spring Branch.<ref>"El Salvador." Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref>
Government and infrastructureEdit
Local governmentEdit
The Spring Branch District within Houston is served by the Houston Police Department Northwest Patrol Division,<ref>"Crime Statistics for Northwest Patrol Division." City of Houston</ref> headquartered at 6000 Teague Road.<ref name="VIPCops">"VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support." City of Houston.</ref> The Spring Branch Storefront Station is located at Suite A at 8400 Long Point Road.<ref name="VIPCops"/>
The Houston Fire Department serves areas within Houston and operates Fire Station #5 Old Spring Branch at 2020 Hollister Road, Fire Station #38 West Side at 1120 Silber Road, Fire Station #49 at 1212 Gessner Drive, and Fire Station #77 Spring Shadows at 10155 Kempwood Drive; the stations are in Fire District 5.<ref>"Fire Stations." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> Some unincorporated areas in Spring Branch are served by the Houston Fire Department, while others are served by the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department.<ref>"Jurisdiction Lookup Template:Webarchive." Harris County. Retrieved on April 21, 2009.</ref> Station 38 was built in 1955.<ref name="Station38">"Fire Station 38 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 49 opened in a former Spring Branch Volunteer Fire Department facility at Campbell at Long Point in 1956. Station 49 moved to Gessner at Westview in 1961.<ref name="Station49">"Fire Station 49 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 5 moved from what is now Downtown Houston to Spring Branch in 1977.<ref name="Station05">"Fire Station 5 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 77 opened in 1990.<ref>"Fire Station 77 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 38 was last renovated during the financial year of 1995.<ref name="Station38"/> Station 49 closed in April 2008 before undergoing a $753,821.40 renovation. The station reopened on February 9, 2009, and the re-opening ceremony occurred on March 16, 2009.<ref name="Station49"/> A renovation of Station 5 is scheduled for 2011.<ref name="Station05"/>
Houston City Council District A covers areas of Spring Branch in Houston.<ref>City of Houston, Council District Maps, District A Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.</ref> As of 2014 Brenda Stardig represents the district.<ref name="Baird01">Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1990s a small portion of Spring Branch was in City Council District G.<ref name="map3.gif">"map3.gif." City of Houston. February 11, 1997. Retrieved on November 7, 2011.</ref>
The city of Houston organized the areas in Spring Branch within Houston into the #8 Westbranch,<ref name="WestbranchCouncil">"Super Neighborhood #8 - Westbranch Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref> #10 Spring Branch West,<ref name="SpringBranchWestCouncil">"Super Neighborhood # 10 - Spring Branch West Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> #84 Spring Shadows,<ref name="SpringShadowsCouncil">"Super Neighborhood # 84 - Spring Shadows Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> #85 Spring Branch Central,<ref name="SpringBranchCentralCouncil">"Super Neighborhood # 85 - Spring Branch Central Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> and #86 Spring Branch East super neighborhoods.<ref name="SpringBranchEastCouncil">"Super Neighborhood # 86 - Spring Branch East Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref>
The council for #10 Super Neighborhood opened on May 11, 2000.<ref name="SpringBranchWestCouncil"/> The council for the #85 Super Neighborhood, which includes the Binglewood, Binglewood 5, Campbell Woods, Hollister Place, Holley Terrace, Kempwood North, Langwood II, Outpost Estates, Spring Branch Estates II, Spring Branch Oaks, Springwood/Timbercreek, and Western Oaks subdivisions, many of which still have deed restrictions, opened on August 24, 2000.<ref name="SpringBranchCentralCouncil"/> The council for the #84 Super Neighborhood, which mostly consists of deed-restricted, single family subdivisions such as Spring Shadows and also includes nine apartment complexes and one mobile home area, opened on March 14, 2005.<ref name="SpringShadowsCouncil"/> Subdivisions within Super Neighborhood #86 include Afton Village, Brykerwoods, Monarch Oaks, Ridgecrest, Hillendahl Acres, Long Point Oaks, Pine Terrace, and Westview Terrace.<ref name="SpringBranchEastCouncil"/>
In 2011 the City of Houston opened a permanent electronics recycling center in Spring Branch.<ref>Balke, Jeff. "City Opens Permanent Electronics Recycling Center in Spring Branch Template:Webarchive." Houston Press. September 28, 2011. Retrieved on July 25, 2012.</ref>
The Spring Branch Management District is headquartered at 9610 Long Point Drive.<ref>"Contact Us Template:Webarchive." Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.</ref> The Spring Branch Management District's mission is to positively impact public safety, business development, environmental and urban design, and mobility and transportation to help create an environment attractive to business, to facilitate profitability, and to promote the redevelopment and growth of the area.<ref name="SpringBranchManagementDistrictServicePlan">"Spring Branch Management District - Service Plan Template:Webarchive." Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.</ref> Ongoing programs spearheaded by the Spring Branch Management District include working with the Houston Police Department to promote its Blue Star Program to bring apartment complexes and multifamily residential units into compliance with current city codes, providing constable patrols to enhance security, removing graffiti on public and private property, maintaining various landscapes throughout the district, removing bandit signs, enforcing news rack ordinance, and pursuing health code violations.<ref name="SpringBranchManagementDistrictCurrentPrograms">"Spring Branch Management District - Current Programs Template:Webarchive." Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.</ref> The management district's boundaries are almost entirely within the City of Houston; a portion in the north is in an unincorporated area in Harris County.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>Locate a Community Technology Center (CTC) in your Super Neighborhood ! Template:Webarchive. City of Houston. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref>
Local politicsEdit
As of 2012, according to Bob Stein, a Rice University political scientist, voters in Houston City Council District A tend to be older people, conservative, and White American, and many follow the Tea Party movement. The voting base is such despite the presence of large Hispanic neighborhoods within District A. In the 2011 election voters in Spring Branch, for City Council District A, favored Tea Party candidate Helena Brown over the incumbent, Brenda Stardig, because Stardig supported a "rain tax," passed in 2010, that lead to taxation of churches. However, Stardig later voted to exempt church- and non-profit-property-owners from the "rain tax". The taxation of churches had a negative reception with political conservatives in Spring Branch.<ref name="McCoy2"/> In the 1990s a small portion of Spring Branch was in City Council District G.<ref name="map3.gif"/> In 1989, during a city council race, many in Spring Branch voted for Jim Westmoreland for an at-large position. Westmoreland drew controversy after reports of a joke that was characterized as "racist" spread. Beverley Clark, the opponent and a Black teacher, defeated Westmoreland in that race.<ref>Bernstein, Alan. "Core of white support failed to halt Westmoreland's defeat." Houston Chronicle. November 12, 1989. A1.</ref>
County representationEdit
Harris County Precinct Three, headed by Steve Radack as of 2008, serves portions of Spring Branch.<ref>"Precinct Maps: Precinct 3 Template:Webarchive." Harris County. Retrieved on October 13, 2008.</ref> Harris County Precinct Four, headed by Jerry Eversole as of 2008, serves other portions of Spring Branch.<ref>"Parks Map Template:Webarchive." Harris County Precinct 4. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> Harris County Constable Precinct 5 patrols much of Spring Branch.<ref>"Precinct 5 Boundary Map Template:Webarchive." Harris County. Accessed October 14, 2008.</ref> The unincorporated area within the Spring Branch Management District is assigned to the Harris County Sheriff's Office District IV Patrol, headquartered at the Clay Road Substation at 16715 Clay Road.<ref>"District IV Patrol Template:Webarchive." Harris County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved on April 21, 2009.</ref> The Harris County Department of Education maintains an office in the North Post Oak Building in Spring Branch.<ref>"Contact Us." Harris County Department of Education. Retrieved on May 30, 2009.</ref> The Harris County Toll Road Authority operates its West Area EZ Tag Store in Spring Branch.<ref>"EZ TAG Stores Template:Webarchive." Harris County Toll Road Authority. Retrieved on May 16, 2010.</ref>
Harris County Precinct 3 operates the Spring Branch Community Center and Courthouse Annex and a tax office at 1721 Pech Road in Spring Branch.<ref>"Branch Office Locations Template:Webarchive." Harris County Tax Office. Accessed October 13, 2008.</ref><ref>"Spring Branch Community Center Template:Webarchive." Harris County. Accessed October 14, 2008.</ref> Alma Corporation built the building now housing the Spring Branch Community Center in the late 1960s. In 1971 Alma sold the building to Sam Houston Memorial Hospital; in 1976 the hospital sold the building to Houghton and Neville West. Harris County bought the building in 1986, causing it to become a courthouse. Bob Eckels, then the Precinct 3 commissioner, established a community center in the ground floor's north half. Steve Radack became the commissioner of Precinct 3 and began renovating the building. After the census of 1990 the county rezoned the community center and the surrounding neighborhood into Precinct 4. During the 1990s changes to the center occurred. The county moved the center back into Precinct 3 after the 2000 Census.<ref>"Spring Branch: History Template:Webarchive." Harris County. Accessed October 14, 2008.</ref> In 2011 the Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community opened, taking in the previous community center.<ref>"County opens new community center in Spring Branch Template:Webarchive." Houston Banner. April 11, 2011. Retrieved on June 13, 2011.</ref>
State and federal representationEdit
Parts of Spring Branch located in District 136 of the Texas House of Representatives which has been represented by Republican Tony Dale since 2012.<ref name="TexasHouseOfRepDistrict136Bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="TexasTribuneTonyDale">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Parts of Spring Branch located in District 138 of the Texas House of Representatives, which has been represented by Republican Dwayne Bohac since 2002.<ref name="TexasTribuneDwayneBohac">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A portion of Spring Branch is within District 7 of the Texas Senate; as of 2008 Dan Patrick represents the district.<ref>"Senate District 7Template:Dead link" Map. Senate of Texas. Retrieved on November 27, 2008.</ref> Parts of Spring Branch are within District 15 of the Texas Senate; as of 2008 John Whitmire represents the district.<ref>"Senate District 15 Template:Webarchive" Map. Senate of Texas. Retrieved on September 28, 2008.</ref>
Spring Branch is primarily in Texas's 2nd congressional district, which has been represented by Republican Dan Crenshaw since 2019.<ref name="GovTrackDistrict02">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Spring Branch is partially in Texas's 18th congressional district, which has been represented by Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee since 1995.<ref name="GovTrackDistrict18">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A portion of Spring Branch is also in Texas's 7th congressional district, which has been represented by Democrat Lizzie Fletcher since 2019.<ref name="GovTrackDistrict07">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Spring Branch. The James Griffith Station and the Long Point Station are in the community.<ref>"Post Office Location - JAMES GRIFFITH." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 11, 2009.</ref><ref>"Post Office Location - LONG POINT." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 11, 2009.</ref>
DemographicsEdit
Between the 1990 U.S. Census and the 2000 U.S. Census, as Spring Branch gained many Hispanic and Korean residents, many white residents left. Nestor Rodriguez, an immigration expert from the University of Houston, said that the white population of Spring Branch implied that many were leaving not because of racial differences but because the new residents were not middle class. Rodriguez said, "They don't say they're not middle-class, but they say, well, look at them, they're out on the street corners looking for work; we're not used to that. But those are characteristics of working-class or lower working-class people."<ref name="Rodriguez90sflight">Rodriguez, Lori. "THE CENSUS / Census study: White flight soars / UH analysis spots segregation trend Template:Webarchive." Houston Chronicle. April 15, 2001. A1. Retrieved on December 30, 2011.</ref>
In 2000, the City of Houston's Super Neighborhoods located all or in part within Spring Branch reported the following population statistics:
| Super Neighborhood | SN # | Population | Hispanic | % | White | % | Black | % | Asian | % | Native American | % | Native Hawaiian | % | other non-Hispanic | % | 2 or more races | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westbranch<ref name="WestbranchCouncildemo">"Census 2000: Demographic Data by Super Neighborhood Westbranch #8 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref> | 8 | 4,321 | 1,532 | 35.45% | 1,289 | 29.83% | 235 | 5.44% | 1,224 | 28.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 39 | 0.90% |
| Spring Branch West<ref name="SN10Demographics">"Census 2000: Demographic Data by Super Neighborhood Spring Branch West #10 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> | 10 | 32,423 | 17,059 | 52.61% | 11,353 | 35.02% | 1,878 | 5.80% | 1,627 | 5.02% | 59 | 0.18% | 11 | 0.03% | 44 | 0.14% | 392 | 1.21% |
| Spring Branch North<ref name="SN84Demographics">"[1] Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on February 2, 2014.</ref> | 84 | 18,402 | 6,403 | 34.80% | 8,976 | 48.78% | 1,151 | 6.25% | 1,560 | 8.48% | 27 | 0.15% | 8 | 0.04% | 42 | 0.23% | 235 | 1.28% |
| Spring Branch Central<ref name="SN85Demographics">"Census 2000: Demographic Data by Super Neighborhood Spring Branch Center #85 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> | 85 | 29,074 | 18,844 | 64.81% | 7,678 | 26.41% | 1,190 | 4.09% | 1,103 | 3.79% | 44 | 0.15% | 6 | 0.02% | 23 | 0.08% | 186 | 0.64% |
| Spring Branch East<ref name="SN86Demographics">"Census 2000: Demographic Data by Super Neighborhood Spring Branch East #86 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> | 86 | 26,491 | 16,275 | 61.44% | 7,872 | 29.72% | 1,075 | 4.06% | 945 | 3.57% | 51 | 0.19% | 5 | 0.02% | 27 | 0.10% | 240 | 0.91% |
Health careEdit
The Spring Branch Medical Center, located in Spring Branch, was the first hospital outside of the Texas Medical Center to perform open heart surgery.<ref name="Wollamlayoff">Wollam, Allison. "Spring Branch med center lays off 720." Houston Business Journal. March 22, 2010. Retrieved on March 25, 2010.</ref> As the owners of the Spring Branch Medical Center attempted to sell the facility to the Harris County Hospital District (now Harris Health System), the owners announced that the hospital would close by May 1, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Because the hospital was ending inpatient services, it announced that it was laying off 720 employees. As of March 2010 it employed 509 full-time employees and 211 part-time employees. The hospital plans to continue offering outpatient programs such as emergency care services, imaging services, and radiation oncology.<ref name="Wollamlayoff"/>
Houston-based McVey & Co. Investments LLC purchased Spring Branch Medical Center, at 8850 Long Point Road, early 2011. Marty McVey, chairman of the hospital, attempted to reopen the historic community hospital. However, the hospital fell into foreclosure in 2013 and was demolished in early 2015 to make way for a new residential/retail project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Texas Children's Pediatric Associates Spring Branch, a child health care center affiliated with Texas Children's Hospital, is located in Spring Branch.<ref>"TCPA – Spring Branch." Texas Children's Pediatric Associates. Retrieved on December 12, 2008.</ref>
Harris Health System designated Northwest Health Center for ZIP codes 77055 and 77080. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} - See ZIP codes 77055 and 77080. See this map for relevant ZIP code.</ref>
EducationEdit
Primary and secondary schoolsEdit
Public schoolsEdit
Spring Branch Independent School District serves most of the areas within the Spring Branch Management District, all of the Memorial area in Houston, and several small cities.<ref name=SBSchools>"Spring Branch Schools" (Archive). Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on May 18, 2014.</ref>
Middle schools in Spring Branch ISD serving the Spring Branch area include Landrum Middle School, Northbrook Middle School, Spring Oaks Middle School, and Spring Woods Middle School. In addition Spring Forest Middle School in the Memorial community of Houston and Spring Branch Middle School in the City of Hedwig Village serve sections of Spring Branch.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"Middle School Boundaries Template:Webarchive." Spring Branch Independent School District. Retrieved on January 13, 2009.</ref>
Most SBISD areas in the Spring Branch District are within the separate attendance boundaries of Spring Woods High School and Northbrook High School in Spring Branch. The southern portions of west Spring Branch have students zoned to Stratford High School in the Memorial area of Houston. Some areas of Spring Branch along Westview and Interstate 10 have students zoned to Memorial High School in the City of Hedwig Village.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"High School Boundaries Template:Webarchive." Spring Branch Independent School District. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref>
Some areas within the district are within the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/> The area is divided between the attendance zones of Bane Elementary School in Houston, Kirk Elementary School in unincorporated Harris County, and Lee Elementary School in unincorporated Harris County.<ref>"Map of Elementary Schools 2009–2010Template:Dead link." Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref> The area is divided between the attendance zones of Dean Middle School in Houston and Truitt Middle School in unincorporated Harris County.<ref>"Map of Middle Schools 2009–2010Template:Dead link." Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref> All residents of that area are zoned to Cypress Ridge High School in unincorporated Harris County.<ref>"Cypress Ridge Boundary Map Template:Webarchive." Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref>
There is a small segment of land in the Spring Branch district that is within the Houston Independent School District.<ref name=SBSchools/><ref>"Waltrip High School Attendance Zone Template:Webarchive." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on May 18, 2014.</ref> The land in this segment is used for industrial, commercial, and transportation/utility reasons.<ref>"Super Neighborhood (SN# 86) Land Use Map Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 18, 2014.</ref>
Private schoolsEdit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston operates The Regis School of the Sacred Heart, a K-8 school for boys,<ref>"The Regis School of the Sacred Heart Template:Webarchive." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> and St. Jerome School, a coeducational K-8 school, in Spring Branch.<ref>"St. Jerome School Template:Webarchive." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> For the high school levels, Saint John XXIII High School (formerly Pope John XXIII High School) in western Harris County, within Greater Katy, is in proximity to Spring Branch.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Other private schools located in Spring Branch include The Awty International School,<ref>Home page. The Awty International School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> Houston Christian High School,<ref>"Contact Us Template:Webarchive." Houston Christian High School. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref> Fair Haven Day Methodist School,<ref>Home page. Fair Haven Day Methodist School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> Houston Sudbury School,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> ILM Academy (Islamic Education Institute of Texas a.k.a. Darul Arqam) at Spring Branch Islamic Center,<ref name=ILMAcadlink>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} - ILM Academy website - Addresses included in the link: if a school and a mosque share an address, they are co-located.</ref><ref name=Mosquelist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} - if a school and a mosque share an address, they are co-located.</ref> St. Mark Lutheran School,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and The Monarch School. Originally the Monarch School had a campus in Spring Branch and a campus in Hilshire Village.<ref name="IntroMonarchSch">"Introduction Template:Webarchive." The Monarch School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Map and Directions Template:Webarchive." The Monarch School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Our Two Campuses Template:Webarchive." The Monarch School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> In Spring 2009 all programs of The Monarch School moved to a new campus on Kempwood Drive in Spring Branch.<ref name="IntroMonarchSch"/><ref>"The Monarch School Master Plan Template:Webarchive." The Monarch School. January 21, 2002.</ref> The Parish School is located in a plot of land bordering the Spring Branch District.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>"Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow. Template:Webarchive." The Parish School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Parish School moved from its former campus, now the site of The Rainard School, to the new campus in 2005.<ref name="Rainardhome">"Rainard has moved to its new campus Template:Webarchive." The Rainard School. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>""Mighty oaks from little acorns grow."." The Parish School. January 21, 2002.</ref> Western Academy, a 3-8 boys private school, is in Spring Branch.<ref>"Contact." Western Academy. Retrieved on November 28, 2013. "Western Academy 1511 Butlercrest Houston, Texas 77080"</ref>
School of the Woods is a college prep Montessori School for early childhood through grade 12 in nearby Hilshire Village; some of the school property is in Houston.<ref>"7812 Bobbitt Lane" (Archive). Harris County Appraisal District Public Records</ref><ref>"Schools" (Map) (Archive). Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on June 19, 2015.</ref>
Community collegesEdit
Houston Community College System (HCC) serves Spring Branch ISD. Lone Star College serves Cy-Fair ISD.<ref>Sec. 130.182. HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.191. LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.</ref>
HCC operates the Spring Branch Center, a part of the Northwest College, in Memorial City. The facility was known as the Town and Country Campus until 2009.<ref>Casey, Rick. "Suburbs: ‘Raise our school taxes'." Houston Chronicle. August 8, 2009. Retrieved on March 25, 2010.</ref> The college is inside the former Town and Country Mall.<ref>Georgandis, Nick. "HCC officials determined to fight governor's funding vetoesTemplate:Dead link." The Katy Times. June 25, 2007. Retrieved on March 25, 2010.</ref> In 1999 a former Template:Convert AMC Theatres and KMart building in Town and Country was re-tenanted to HCC.<ref>"Moody Rambin Interests Inc." Houston Business Journal. May 26, 2000. Retrieved on March 25, 2010.</ref> HCC signed its lease to occupy portions of the Town & Country Square Shopping Center in 1999. During that year the owners of the Town & Country Square Shopping Center filed a lawsuit against HCC for trying to stop a Barnes & Noble from opening in the shopping center premises.<ref>Nissimov, Ron. "Article: Bookstore Sparks Lawsuit Against Houston Community College System." Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. November 29, 1999. Retrieved on March 25, 2010.</ref>
Public librariesEdit
The Houston Public Library operates the Arnold L. Hillendahl Neighborhood Library at 2436 Gessner Road and the Elizabeth L. Ring Neighborhood Library at 8835 Long Point Road.<ref>"Hillendahl Neighborhood Library Template:Webarchive." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Ring Neighborhood Library Template:Webarchive." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"HPL's Named Buildings Template:Webarchive." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Harris County Public Library (HCPL) system operates the Spring Branch Memorial Branch at 930 Corbindale Road in the City of Hedwig Village. The Template:Convert branch opened in 1975.<ref>"Spring Branch Memorial Branch Library Template:Webarchive." Harris County Public Library. Retrieved on November 29, 2008.</ref>
Parks and recreationEdit
The district includes parks operated by the city government and the county government.<ref>"Parks in Spring Branch" (Archive). Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on May 18, 2014.</ref>
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department operates municipal parks within the Spring Branch Management District. Agnes Moffit Park, located at 10645 Hammerly Boulevard, has a swimming pool and a golf course.<ref>"City of Houston ZIP Code 77043 Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. December 10, 2008.</ref> The R.L. and Cora Johnson Park is located at 9791 Tanner Road.<ref name="ParksAF">"Our Parks A-F Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The adjacent R. L. and Cora Johnson Community Center, located at 9801 Tanner Road, has a 0.25 mile hike and bicycle trail, a playground, an outdoor basketball pavilion, and lighted tennis courts.<ref>"R.L. and Cora Johnson Community Center Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 21, 2009.</ref> The park was originally known as the Carverdale Park; it was renamed in January 2009 after some civic leaders.<ref>"Carverdale Park to be Renamed To Honor Civic Leaders R.L. and Cora Johnson Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. January 26, 2009. Retrieved on April 21, 2009.</ref> Freed Park and Community Center is located at 7020 Shadyvilla Lane.<ref name="ParksAF"/> The park has an indoor gymnasium, a .35 mile hike and bicycle trail, a playground, a lighted sports field.<ref>"Freed Community Center Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on August 17, 2009.</ref> Schwartz Park is located at 8203 Vogue.<ref>"Our Parks O-Z Template:Webarchive." City of Houston. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref>
Harris County Precinct 3 operates the county parks. The Template:Convert Nob Hill Park, located at 10300 Timber Oak Drive, has a Template:Convert walking trail, a picnic, a playground, a gazebo, and a softball field.<ref>"Nob Hill Park (13 Acres) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Spring Branch Pocket Park, located at 1700 Campbell Road at Spring Branch Drive, has a Template:Convert trail, a playground, and a gazebo.<ref>"Spring Branch Pocket Park (1 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Spring Branch Pocket Park Template:Webarchive" Map. Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Housman Pocket Park, located at 6705 Housman Street, has a Template:Convert trail, a playground, and a gazebo.<ref>"Housman Pocket Park (1 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Housman Pocket Park Template:Webarchive" Map. Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Moritz Pech Family Park, located at 1493½ Moritz Drive, has two playgrounds and a Template:Convert granite jogging trail.<ref>"Moritz Pech Family Park (1 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Moritz Pech Family Park Template:Webarchive" Map. Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Creek Pocket Park, located at 1701 Creek Drive, has a Template:Convert trail.<ref>"Creek Pocket Park (1 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Bracher Pocket Park, located at 1507½ Bracher Street, has a Template:Convert gravel trail, a playground, and a gazebo.<ref>Bracher Pocket Park (0.21 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Bracher Pocket Park Template:Webarchive" Map. Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Bauer Pocket Park, located at 2201 Bauer Road, has a Template:Convert trail.<ref>"Bauer Pocket Park (.65 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> The Template:Convert Gessner Pocket Park, located at 1610½ Gessner Drive, has a Template:Convert trail and a playground.<ref>"Gessner Pocket Park (1 Acre) Template:Webarchive." Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref><ref>"Gessner Pocket Park Template:Webarchive" Map. Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref>
CultureEdit
The Spring Branch Family Development Center, a 501(c)(3) organization, opened in 2001 to provide educational, recreational, health and social services to residents of Spring Branch.<ref>"Spring Branch Family Development Center to get new playground." Houston Chronicle. November 11, 2008. Retrieved on November 28, 2011.</ref>
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston operates area Catholic churches. St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church (Template:Langx), named after Andrew Kim Taegon, is in Spring Branch. It serves ethnic Koreans and Korean speakers in the archdiocese.<ref name=Varatogether>Vara, Richard. "Area Asian Catholics to come together in celebration." Houston Chronicle. August 21, 1999. Religion p. 1. NewsBank Record: 3159522. Available from the Houston Chronicle website's newspaper databases, accessible with a library card and PIN.</ref> The area has a Polish American house of worship, Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Parish, established in the 1980s. At the time Polish immigrants who resisted Communist rule in that country arrived in Houston.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other Spring Branch Catholic churches include Our Lady of Walsingham Church,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> St. Catherine of Siena Church,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and St. Jerome Church.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) operates an area house of worship for Muslims, the Spring Branch Islamic Center.<ref name=Mosquelist/> It houses the Islamic primary school ILM Academy.<ref name=ILMAcadlink/>
Notable residentsEdit
- Helena Brown (former member of the Houston City Council in District A)<ref name="McCoy2"/>
See alsoEdit
Template:Portal Central American communities:
- Gulfton, Houston - An area with a large Central American population
Korean communities:
- Koreatown, Manhattan
- Koreatown, Los Angeles
- New Malden, which is the center of the Korean community of London, England
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Spring Branch Management District
- Template:Handbook of Texas
- Spring Branch Independent School District
- Spring Branch neighborhood still affordable - Houston Chronicle - 2001
Template:Spring Branch, Houston Template:American Koreatowns Template:Houston, Texas Template:Coord