A construction project in Houston’s historic Freedmen’s Town has led to the disturbance of bricks laid in the late 19th century, some by formerly enslaved African Americans, igniting concern among preservationists and local officials. The damage, caused by a contractor near Andrews and Wilson streets, has drawn attention to the ongoing need to protect this National Historic District, which symbolizes the resilience of freed African Americans following the Emancipation Proclamation.

Sharon Fletcher, executive director of the Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, acknowledged the incident as a mistake without “ill intent,” but emphasized the significance of the site. “These are the assets of our ancestors, and we don’t want to lose them, especially given the current climate and things we face in terms of erasure relative to African-American history,” Fletcher said. “We want people to understand this story of freedom, this story of resilience, and the brick streets are an important piece of that.”

City Council Member Abbie Kamin, whose district includes Freedmen’s Town, confirmed the construction work was not authorized to interfere with the brick streets. “This is a very old area in desperate need of attention and infrastructure improvements, but none of that is supposed to be coming near where those bricks are,” Kamin said. “We did not know that construction was happening on this street at this time. Normally, when we do, we’ll make sure that the right people are out there and that there are additional measures put in place.”

Houston Public Works stated that the repairs were part of a project managed by the Fourth Ward Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ 14), which has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The bricks represent one of the few remaining physical ties to Houston’s post-Civil War Black history. “The historic brick streets ... represent the African-American journey post-Civil War, post-emancipation,” said Fletcher. “It represents a community of progress and ingenuity, of Black intelligence. ... It is essentially our anchor to the community’s foundation of historical significance.”

The situation was mitigated when Charonda Johnson of the Freedmen’s Town Preservation Coalition noticed the work and intervened. “I don’t want to think about (Johnson) not being there to stop it,” Fletcher said. “That leads us down the road of assets that were laid by our ancestors that could be destroyed that we can’t get back.”

This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred. In 2016, a similar disturbance led to new city protocols requiring permits and additional oversight. Fletcher believes more communication is needed on the ground. “The piece that we ... may not be paying attention to is ensuring that (we communicate) with the folks who are on the ground actually doing the work, who are operating the equipment.”

Council Member Kamin said her office has a standing policy for immediate response: “Our office is instructed, if you have to lay down in the street to stop the work, lay down in the street until we can figure out what’s happening and get archeological experts on scene.”

Following the latest incident, 11 bricks were recovered and moved to storage for safekeeping. “Those bricks that we’re taking today and stored protectively will also go back into the placement where they were removed from,” Fletcher confirmed.

As part of Houston’s long-term capital improvement efforts, the brick streets are expected to be fully restored by 2028. In the meantime, the conservancy plans to review survey lines and coordinate daily briefings with contractors to prevent future damage. “The fact that bricks are there supersedes any other order,” Fletcher said. “I do know that the city of Houston does understand the importance and significance of those historical bricks in the community. It’s just that you have those moments where that communication is not always understood.”

Originally reported by Justin Doud in Houston Public Media.