Community Music Center of Houston finds new home in historic Third Ward building
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There are plenty of new buildings going up in Houston's Third Ward, but a local Black arts group has their eye on an old one with historic ties to the community, like theirs.
The abandoned medical clinic on Holman Street, designed by the state's first licensed Black architect, has sat empty for years, but it will soon be filled with the sound of music.
The Community Music Center of Houston, founded in 1979, has never had a permanent home until recently.
Anne Lundy, PhD, is the music director.
"We had to make a tough choice a few years ago," Lundy said. "Do we continue renting and moving, or do we put down roots?" That question led them to 3020 Holman Street.
The boarded-up and abandoned building turned out to be a Third Ward treasure.
"We had an idea that this was a rare, surviving example of a health clinic in the Third Ward designed by John Chase," Laura Carrera with Urbano Architects said.
"When we realized we had gotten it, we thought, 'Oh, what a find! This is great. This is meant to be,'" Lundy added.
We opened our Eyewitness News archives to find a 1994 video showing what the clinic looked like before Dr. Michael Banfield retired. He commissioned his friend, the state's first Black-licensed architect, for the design.
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This original sketch from 1965 showed the plans for a building featuring John Chase's trademark elements: light and air.
"This was a very simply laid-out building that has a welcoming courtyard and then very beautiful terrazzo still inside, and all the glazing is facing north," Carrera said.
Urbano Architects specializes in renovating old buildings with respect to their original design. Their research turned up an old photograph of the building's exterior.
"Right now, it's not in good shape, "Carrera said. "But through analyzing the original drawings, we found this beautiful detail of a bronze fascia."
Their design will bring that back, turn exam rooms into rehearsal rooms, and add a new performance space for the community to hear Black musicians performing work by Black composers led by a Black conductor.
"It's beautiful music. Beautiful music. Just come explore it. It's a wonderful world," Lundy said.
Lundy added that education and legacy are at the heart of their musical mission, which fits in perfect harmony with their new home.
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