It was called the Houston Negro Hospital when it was dedicated on Juneteenth 1926, it opened the following year as the first nonprofit hospital for Blacks in the city. The land in the Third Ward was donated by the City and the $80,000 to build the hospital was donated by oilman J.S. Cullinan.

From the beginning, the hospital was plagued with financial woes. A nursing school opened in 1931 but closed just a few years later due to a lack of patients. In 1961, after an extension to the original building on Ennis Street, it was renamed Riverside General Hospital. In 1982 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Over the years it became known for its substance abuse programs and mental health facilities, but legal and financial troubles forced it to close in 2015.

Now it’s about to have a new life, once again providing health care to the neighborhood. On September 9 a groundbreaking ushered in a new role for the historic facility which will become a Harris County health services hub. The rehabilitation of the three existing buildings, and a new building, will become the headquarters for Harris County Public Health and its ACCESS Harris County, a program aimed to provide vulnerable groups the services they need through a one-stop-shop coordinated care. It is an example of how the community, elected officials, private sector leaders, and nonprofits can step up to fill a health care void.

“Houston Endowment was committed to playing a role in returning this asset to the community — both Third Ward and the larger Houston region — and we are excited to see the project enter its next phase,” said Ann B. Stern, president and CEO of Houston Endowment which provided Harris County a $7.1 million grant in 2018 to purchase the facility and fund an assessment study. “As a place-based funder, we endeavor to learn about and respond to what the community needs most, and to be a connector and convener across sectors. That spirit of collaboration enables this project to continue to progress today.”

“The revitalization of these three historic buildings symbolizes a new day for Riverside Hospital and the Greater Houston community,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who was born at Riverside General Hospital, said at the groundbreaking.

The main building will provide ACCESS offices and services such as mental health care, vaccinations, housing and food resources, and more. The old nursing school building will be used for community spaces and the old laundry will be a community center. The first phase should be finished late next year.

by Marene Gustin

credit photos to: Riverside General Hospital files. (Black & white)
Houston Endowment (color)