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Southside Place Park is the geographic and civic center of the City of Southside Place, an early Houston suburb. From 1895-1922, the area was part of the Harris County Poor Farm, a county-owned facility for the indigent. However, as residential development spread towards the farm, county commissioners deemed the land too valuable for public use and built a new “county home” on 100 acres east of Houston. In 1924, Edward Lillo Crain (1885-1950) purchased the southern tract of the former poor farm, as well as frontage along Bellaire Boulevard, on which to develop Southside Place. The combined parcel of about 107 acres cost Crain $101,542. Crain developed the park first, with plans to fill the development with inexpensive, uniformly-designed homes under the banner of the Crain ready-cut house company.
The park featured prominently in Crain’s marketing. Its amenities, including a 30-by-75-foot concrete swimming pool, a wading pool, bath house, tennis court and play equipment, distinguished the development from all others in the Houston area. Deed restrictions stipulated that the permanent park and playground was “for the exclusive use and benefit of property owners.” In 1932, Crain deeded the park to the Southside Place Park Association, which owned and operated the space for 80 years. Ownership of the park was later transferred to the City of Southside Place. Over the years, the park has been expanded and modernized. One notable addition occurred in 1970 when the city’s first fire truck was retired and repurposed as a piece of play equipment; thereafter, the park became known as “Fire Truck Park.” For a century, Southside Place Park has been the defining feature of the community as well as a place of enjoyment and leisure for residents. (2022) |
