New Washington

Located at the junction of Buffalo Bayou and San Jacinto Bay, the townsite of New Washington was settled by Col. James Morgan (1786-1866), who bought 1600 acres of land in the area in 1835. A native of Philadelphia, Morgan had come to Texas in 1830 and served at various times and places as merchant, civic leader, and land agent. While away from his home, serving as a colonel during the Texas Revolution, Mexican troops burned the town of New Washington. After the war, Morgan and others rebuilt New Washington, and the townsite began to flourish. Morgan realized, however, that it could never compete with the growth of nearby Houston, and during the 1850s he began to promote plans for a channel along Buffalo Bayou that would increase the region's trade potential. That dream was completed in 1876 with the dredging of the Houston Ship Channel by steamship tycoon Charles Morgan. As Houston continued to grow, New Washington was recognized only as a major bend for the ship traffic along the bayou. Now known as Morgan's Point, the townsite was incorporated in 1949 and stands as a reminder of the early commercial history of Harris County.

New Washington is a historical marker in Morgan's Point, Harris County, dedicated in 1985. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.6717, -95.0067 near Morgan's Point. The nearest cataloged historic site is Gribble-Hofheinz Huse (historical marker), about 0.5 miles away. Others within a short drive include Governor Ross Sterling Mansion, Bay Ridge/Morgan's Point, and Sterling, Ross,S., House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010741. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.