J. Vance Lewis

J. Vance Lewis was an attorney and community activist for the African-American community in Houston. Born enslaved circa 1863 in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Lewis attended Leland University in New Orleans before earning a teaching certificate from the Normal School in Orange, Texas. Lewis taught and later served as principal at Cripple Creek School in Angelina County,Texas. In 1897, he graduated from the Chicago College of Law. In 1901, Lewis moved to Houston, residing in the Freedmen’s Town community. He attended Antioch Baptist Church, where he married Pauline R. Gray, a school teacher and later librarian of Colored Carnegie Library. Lewis also opened a firm with attorney Lewis W. Greenly; at the time, J. Vance Lewis was one of only a handful of black lawyers in Texas. In 1904, he was admitted to the Texas Bar. Lewis built this home, which he named Van Court, in 1907. Three years later, he published his autobiography. By 1920, he moved his office here. While Lewis continued to practice law, he also supported economic enterprises in the community, contributing funds for the organization of an African-American bank and joining the Colored Commercial Club, which encouraged Houstonians to support black-owned businesses. Lewis was also involved in politics, running for Criminal District Judge in 1920 and traveling across the country in support of the Black and Tan Republican Party. He encouraged African Americans to educate themselves and work hard to achieve their goals. J. Vance Lewis died on April 24, 1925 and was buried in Olivewood Cemetery. He continues to be remembered as one of Texas’ first black attorneys and as a voice for equality in Houston and throughout the nation. (2008)

J. Vance Lewis is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2008. 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 29.7558, -95.3814 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is St. James United Methodist Church (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include The Reverend Ned P. Pullum, Yates, Rutherford B. H., Sr., House, and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014479. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.