DENTON, Texas — A North Texas neighborhood that has no historical markers but does have a long history of Black residents is getting rezoned. The mayor was trying to stop the rezoning, but failed.

The City of Denton just voted to rezone this small plot of land so a duplex can be built. The problem is that this area is a historically Black neighborhood with a lot of history behind it. Now the neighbors are worried whatever is built here will disrupt the integrity of the neighborhood.

Ms. Alma Clark has lived on the same plot of land since 1962.

Back then, this part of Denton in North Texas was called Quakertown. It was a thriving Black community with middle and working-class families. It was across the street from Denton’s first public school for African Americans, and was a self-sufficient town within a town. It had barbers, shoe shops, drug stores, funeral parlors, schools and churches, all run by the people who actually lived there.

“They even had their own doctor,” Clark said. “Pleasant Grove was one of the churches in Quakertown. It’s the second oldest Black church in the City of Denton. St. James is around the corner, it’s the oldest.”

Her husband, William “Willie” Clark, was born in 1900 while she was born in 1928 and their house was built in 1905. It has since been rebuilt. Her husband’s family was forced to move to this area by white land owners.

“Old Man Miles. That’s what he called the old white man,” Clark said, referring to the land owner. “His brother and his cousin were out here clearing the farmland off because he was going to plot it. They had an encounter with the Ku Klux Klan. They were very active in the early 1900s and up until 1921. By this being a farmland, naturally they had guns because of snakes. And Mr. Miles said to them, get behind the log, fellas, and don’t shoot unless I tell you to. But they didn’t have to shoot or anything.”

Nobody got shot that day, but she says having KKK guns pointed at him is something her husband could never forget. That was not his only encounter with the Klansmen in this community.

The City of Denton’s mayor, Gerard Hudspeth, lives near the neighborhood now. In September, the Denton City Council voted to approve rezoning this plot of land just down the street from Clark. It is only about a third of an acre, but the plan is to build a duplex or four-plex.

“Just some wholistic comprehensive neighborhood issues we didn’t discuss when we implemented the commercial zoning in this residential area,” Mayor Hudspeth said. “My concern here is that the council did not discuss an area plan.”

Hudspeth said when council members voted for it, they did not realize the history behind the neighborhood, and he does not think it should be rezoned. So he brought it back up to reconsider, giving them an opportunity to learn about the neighborhood. But none of them did.

“The individuals who voted for it initially would have to reconsider,” Hudspeth said. “Now the project moves forward just as a week ago when we discussed it.”

Council member Vicki Byrd, who represents the area, did not change her mind and make a motion.

“I’m for the rezoning,” Byrd said. “I’m for the rezoning because the rezoning is already there. There is already a restaurant there and there has been a retail facility on that street.”

“That project doesn’t have to proceed. The zoning is passed irrespective of the project,” Hudspeth said. “They could sell the property now, and someone could build anything in that zoning class that they wanted. So there’s no stipulation as to what they build. It just has that commercial component on the property now.”

Byrd believes the mayor is getting too personally involved.

“In a lot of ways, I agree with the mayor. I’m not disagreeing with him. And I think that the community has got to take on that concern,” Byrd explained. “And at this point, it just sounds like the mayor is taking on that concern for the community. That’s what it sounds like. And that’s probably what it is because he actually lives in that community. And he grew up in that community. But he can’t speak for that community without the entire community coming together and agreeing with him or not. That’s not any of our place. That belongs to the citizens of that community.”

Clark is against a duplex, four-plex or any bigger development. She worries about extra cars, air pollution, lawn mowers and a possible rise in crime.

“Change is good. I’m not against change. But I’m against it when I feel like it’s detrimental to the status of this neighborhood,” Clark said. “If someone wants to come in and add more single-dwelling homes and improve the neighborhood, yes. But duplex, no.”

But it is too late. Byrd said the council will make an effort to explain to the neighbors what is about to happen, but the community will be affected in some way.