Historic Baldwin Park hosts Second Sundays

In the shadows of Houston’s glass and concrete towers, the green spaces and parks of Midtown Houston offer residents and visitors a welcome break. They are places to play, have a picnic, walk your dog, or just relax.

One such place is historic Elizabeth Baldwin Park, acquired by the City of Houston in 1905. This little pocket of greenery at 1702 Elgin Street between Crawford and Chenevert Streets is just under five acres, but it feels like so much more. In its early days, it offered only a lush lawn and a stone fountain named after Charlotte Allen, the wife of Houston’s co-founder, Augustus Allen, and the aunt of Elizabeth Baldwin, the park’s namesake.

The daughter of Horace Baldwin, Houston’s mayor in 1844, Elizabeth Baldwin married wealthy William Marsh Rice, for whom Rice University is named. The couple first settled in New York, but Elizabeth Baldwin returned to Houston in 1896 as her health failed. Five years later, the executor of Baldwin’s will established the park that bears her name.

Midtown Management District added an irrigation system, a jogging trail, new picnic and chess tables, and planted new trees to rise up amongst the venerable 100-year-old oaks that arch over the landscape. The Vietnamese Heritage Plaza honors Midtown Houston’s Vietnamese community, which raised funds to construct a gazebo featuring greetings in several languages.

Now, the park is the perfect setting for Midtown Houston’s Second Sunday events, which feature live music––like the rock band The Slags, which will perform November 12––as well as food trucks, lawn games, and giveaways. We welcome you to join the Sunday fun from 2 to 4 p.m. free of charge.