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East Waco, Texas

East Waco is a historically African-American neighborhood on the eastern side of Waco, primarily in ZIP code 76704, east of Interstate 35 and the Brazos River. It is one of Waco's most historically significant communities, with roots in the Freedmen era immediately following the Civil War. East Waco has been the cultural, civic, and spiritual center of Waco's Black community for 160 years.

The neighborhood is currently in active transition. A $6.7 million Elm Avenue streetscape (completed 2024), new restaurants, a craft brewery, and hotel development have brought significant investment to the commercial corridor. Longtime residents continue to navigate concerns about displacement and gentrification as revitalization accelerates.

Within the City of Waco's official Neighborhood Engagement framework, East Waco is primarily recognized as the Carver neighborhood, with the Carver Neighborhood Association meeting monthly at G.W. Carver Middle School (1601 J.J. Flewellen Rd). The North East Riverside sub-neighborhood has its own recognized association.

Overview

  • ZIP Code: 76704
  • Population: ~7,018–7,450
  • Median Age: 27 years
  • Community Feel: A neighborhood of deep historical roots and active revitalization. The Elm Avenue corridor is experiencing its most significant investment in decades; interior residential streets are changing more slowly. Strong church community remains the backbone of neighborhood life.
  • Resident Profile: 61.4% Black/African American; 21.6% Hispanic; 14.9% White. Predominantly working-class and low-income; median household income ~$24,208–$30,349; poverty rate ~42–47%.

Key Characteristics

  • Location: East of I-35 and the Brazos River; core corridor is Elm Avenue running east from the Waco Suspension Bridge.
  • Neighborhood Association: Carver Neighborhood Association (meets monthly at G.W. Carver Middle School); North East Riverside Neighborhood Association
  • Commercial Spine: Elm Avenue — Waco's historic Black commercial and cultural main street, now undergoing major reinvestment
  • Education: Served by Waco Independent School District (WISD). For details, see the East Waco Schools file.

History

Freedmen Era (1865–1880s)

After Emancipation in 1865, formerly enslaved people settled in the area east of the Brazos River. By 1867, Black voters were a majority in McLennan County, and Shepard Mullins — a formerly enslaved man — was elected to the Texas Legislature. Key institutions founded in this era:

  • New Hope Baptist Church (1866) — one of the oldest African-American congregations in Texas
  • St. James Methodist Episcopal Church (1874) — founded by Rev. Anderson Brack, formerly enslaved
  • A.J. Moore School (1875) — the first school for Black students in Waco, begun informally by Professor Alexander James Moore
  • Paul Quinn College (1877) — the oldest HBCU in Texas moved from Austin to Waco's Elm Avenue, occupying 20 acres of the former Garrison Plantation at 1020 Elm Ave
  • Greenwood Cemetery (1875) — established as a racially segregated burial ground; the dividing fence was removed by the City of Waco in June 2016

The Elm Avenue Corridor

Elm Avenue was East Waco's main street — in the late 1800s and early 1900s lined with grocers, law offices, drug stores, blacksmith shops, saloons, and Black-owned businesses. Paul Quinn College anchored the upper end. The College View Court-Hotel served Black travelers excluded from white hotels and was listed in the Green Book. The Jockey Club Barbershop on Bridge Street was also a Green Book listing. Walker's Auditorium (opened 1945) hosted touring rhythm-and-blues and big-band acts.

Decline came in stages: a new Brazos River Bridge (1934) diverted Highway traffic; repeated floods (1885, 1913, 1936) caused damage; and the construction of I-35 through Waco in 1957 dealt the decisive blow — physically severing East Waco from the rest of the city and triggering the largest urban renewal program in Texas, which demolished homes and displaced families.

The Waco Horror (1916)

On May 15, 1916, Jesse Washington — a 17-year-old Black farmhand — was publicly tortured, hanged, and burned alive before a crowd of 10,000–15,000 people on Waco's town square. The NAACP titled its investigation "The Waco Horror," and W.E.B. Du Bois published a special report in The Crisis drawing national attention. No one was prosecuted.

Doris "Dorie" Miller (1919–1943)

Doris Miller was born October 12, 1919 in Waco and graduated from A.J. Moore High School. On December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, he manned an anti-aircraft gun despite having no formal gunnery training, shooting down multiple Japanese aircraft. He became the first African American awarded the Navy Cross. He was killed in action November 24, 1943. Waco's Doris D. Miller Park and a 9-foot bronze statue on the Brazos riverfront honor his memory.

Urban Renewal and Desegregation (1950s–1970s)

Waco completed more urban renewal projects than any other Texas city — 10 total — displacing Black families and demolishing the commercial fabric of the Elm Avenue corridor. A.J. Moore High School closed in 1971 due to desegregation; its building was demolished. Paul Quinn College relocated to Dallas in 1990, leaving its historic Waco campus (now Rapoport Academy) behind.

Key Landmarks and Institutions

  • Doris D. Miller Park & Memorial — 300 N. MLK Jr. Blvd, 76704; 9-foot bronze statue, reflecting pool, bronze relief panels; completed 2017
  • East Waco Library — 901 Elm Ave; branch library featuring historical displays of African-American Waco history; hosts community programming
  • 2nd & Clay (former St. James M.E. Church) — Corner of 2nd St. and Clay Ave; Waco's only historic religious structure on the National Register of Historic Places; McLennan County's only NR site directly related to Black history (listed 2019); being converted to a restaurant/event space
  • Bridge Street Plaza — $5.5M festival street; hosts weekly Waco Downtown Farmers Market (Saturdays, 9am–1pm) and Levitt AMP Music Series
  • Greenwood Cemetery — Est. 1875; notable burials include opera star Jules Bledsoe, mathematician Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes, and Negro League Baseball star Andrew "Rube" Cooper
  • Brotherwell Brewing — 400 E. Bridge St.; craft brewery and community anchor
  • "StoryTellers" mural — Exterior of East Waco Library; depicts East Waco history

Detailed Information

For more detailed information on crime rates, demographics, and housing, see the East Waco Details file.

Food and Dining

For a detailed list of dining options in East Waco, see the East Waco Restaurants file.

Religious Community

For a detailed list of churches in East Waco, see the East Waco Churches file.

Schools

For a detailed list of schools serving East Waco, see the East Waco Schools file.

Sources