Baton Rouge’s “first fine subdivision for Black homebuyers.”
Horatio Thompson, AA Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer
Southern Heights subdivision was established in December 1952 after black investors bought 500 acres from Baton Rouge lawyer and landowner Fred Benton, Sr. Benton was a friend and advisor to Southern University’s first two presidents, Joseph S. Clark and Felton G. Clark (father and son). Southern University, at the time, desired to expand its footprint and educational offerings and needed to move University professors and administrators from its on-campus residences. Southern University professors and administrators were among the first buyers in Southern Heights. In order to facilitate the purchase of homes, Benton helped set up the First Federal Savings and Loan Association.
The subdivision is located between Harding Boulevard on the north and 77th Avenue on the south; Scenic Highway on the west and Emile Street on the east. The subdivision consists of 320 homes. Some of the early houses in Southern Heights were Crawford Homes, pre-fabricated houses manufactured by the Crawford Corporation at its Baton Rouge plant.
In 1951, there was no Civil Rights Act and no first-class homes for African-Americans. The first landowners were able to buy 500 acres from Fred Benton and divide it into five-acre tracts that were sold. The City Council was sympathetic to the project and authorized the city to put in streets and improvements, assessing each property owner for the cost.
The Articles of Incorporation filed in 1953, listed 33 men and 1 woman as original tract owners. Covenants and Restrictions for the subdivision were included in the Articles. Commercial lots were set aside to foster business development in the subdivision. A few lots were designated for two family rental residences with all other lots designated as detached, single-family residences with garages or car porches accommodating no more than two automobiles.
Four persons were designated as the Architectural Control Committee. The Architectural Control Committee members were John W. Fisher, R. C. Crawley, Brady Kennedy, and William H. Fletcher. All were early residents on Harding Boulevard.
Black professionals, Doctors, Lawyers, Educators, Entrepreneurs, Plant Workers and other African-American home buyers with good paying jobs began filling up the subdivision. In the late 1960s through the early 1970s, African-American Principals and Teachers with careers in education throughout Louisiana began retiring to Southern Heights.
In 1990, a restrictive covenant was established to convey a parcel of real estate for McDonald’s Corporation to build and operate on the property at Harding Boulevard near Scenic Highway.
The subdivision is still thriving today and is evolving to revitalize the neighborhood and meet the needs of its residents.
The original Articles of Incorporation for the subdivision (1953) including its Covenant, Conditions & Restrictions (CCRs) are available as a PDF file under Governing Documents within the About Us Menu. A link is provided, if needed, to install Adobe Acrobat so the file can be opened and reviewed.
In 1962, the residents of Southern Heights created a HOA named Southern Heights Property Owners Association (SHPOA). In November 2015, the residents voted in an election to establish the Southern Heights Crime Prevention and Improvement District (SHCPID), a quasi- government agency/district.