Whitehouse, Texas

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Whitehouse, Texas
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Whitehouse, Texas

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mapsize1 = 250px
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Texas
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Smith

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 9.8
area_land_km2 = 9.8
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 3.8
area_land_sq_mi = 3.8
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes =
population_total = 7,327
population_density_km2 = 545.8
population_density_sq_mi = 1413.6

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 146
elevation_ft = 479
latd = 32 |latm = 13 |lats = 24 |latNS = N
longd = 95 |longm = 13 |longs = 3 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 75791
area_code = 903
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 48-78388GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1350005GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Whitehouse is a city in Smith County, Texas, United States. The city had an estimated population of 7,327 in 2006. It is part of the Tyler, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Whitehouse is located at coor dms|32|13|24|N|95|13|3|W|city (32.223443, -95.217579)GR|1. The city is bisected by State Highway 110 and Farm to Market Road 346. The City of Tyler, Texas is located approximately seven miles to the north, while the City of Troup, Texas lies roughly the same distance to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of way more than 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), all of it land. The city's extra territorial jurisdiction includes land surrounding Lake Tyler, a large water body used for drinking water and recreation by East Texas residents.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,346 people, 1,819 households, and 1,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,413.6 people per square mile (546.1/km²). There were 1,890 housing units at an average density of 499.8/sq mi (193.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.14% White, 2.47% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 1.78% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.98% of the population.

There were 1,819 households out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,804, and the median income for a family was $49,393. Males had a median income of $36,891 versus $22,334 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,489. About 6.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

History

Early History

The community was founded long before the city was officially incorporated. The community was named in 1845, but was not incorporated until 1953. The school district (WISD) preceded incorporated municipal government, and was largely responsible for the eventual formation of the city.

Residents of Whitehouse were predominantly farmers or worked in support of agriculture until transportation innovations following World War II lead to other employment options. Many streets and subdivisions in the community are named for these early agricultural and commercial leaders.

According to oral tradition, the community was named "Whitehouse" by the railroad engineers who stopped near a white-washed community building during early settlement times. Several cherished historic resources include the various Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects located within the city. These projects, typically built with sandstone rockwork, are found throughout the city's historic Town Center.

YesterYear Celebration

Civic leaders established the YesterYear Celebration to educate residents about the community's history and heritage. The festival is held on the fourth weekend each June and includes activities such as parades, carnivals, historic reenactments, pageants, and trade days.

Historic Reading

Several works documenting the community's history have been published in the recent past. Shirley Smith wrote and/or edited several books including Homefolks, a collection of letters from important figures who lived in the community throughout the early 20th century. The Tri-County Leader published a series of articles by Acker Hanks called "Growing up in Whitehouse." The articles recounted Mr. Hanks' experience in the community starting in the early 1920s. The Whitehouse Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan (see Planning and Development) also included a history section. This section was based on oral history interviews from prominent Whitehouse residents such at Nancy Shahan Coats, Joe Pat Hagan, Acker Hanks, and Richard Waller. Many of these resources are available at the Whitehouse Community Library.

Planning and Development

Past Efforts

. The next major effort intended to improve quality of life in the city through planning was the completion of the community's first comprehensive plan in April 1996. The document was developed by J.T. Dunkin & Associates.

Recent Efforts

The city's Planning & Zoning Commission has worked at the direction of the City Council to update various components of the 1987 zoning ordinance. The commission also recommended updates to the subdivision regulations which were adopted in February 2004. The city also contracted with [http://www.butlerplanningservices.com Butler Planning Services] to update the comprehensive plan from 1996. The firm, along with a citizen steering committee, produced the [http://www.butlerplanningservices.com/whitehouse/index.html Whitehouse Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan] in the spring of 2006. Following this effort, the city is currently evaluating the need for a new zoning ordinance which can implement the recommendations of the Vision 2020 Plan.

Education

. The district consists of seven schools located on six campuses. The campuses include:
* Cain Elementary School
* Mozelle Brown Elementary School
* Higgins Intermediate School
* Stanton-Smith Elementary School
* Holloway Middle School
* Whitehouse Junior High School
* Whitehouse High School
* AIM Center

The district is well regarded throughout the East Texas region and is one factor contributing to the city's strong growth rate. Recognitions for the district include the "One of BScene's Best" award for two straight years.

Stanton-Smith Elementary school is a more recent addition to the Whitehouse ISD campuses. It has been added to meet the needs of population growth within the city, with more efficient classroom space.

References

External links

* [http://www.whitehousetx.org City of Whitehouse Website]
* [http://www.butlerplanningservices.com/whitehouse/index.html City of Whitehouse Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan]
* [http://www.whitehousetx.com Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.whitehouseisd.org Whitehouse Independent School District]
* [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/WW/hjw9.html Handbook of Texas Online]