This past Thursday, December 10, Poindexter Dental celebrated receiving the distinction as the first historically protected landmark in the Sunnyside Houston Community, along with various invited VIP guests who listened to the jazzy smooth sounds of recording artist Donna E. Scott.
Back in October, the Houston Forward Times (HFT) reported that the City of Houston and the Harris County Historical Commission designated The Cullen Clinic office building, located at 7703 Cullen Boulevard, and is now known as Poindexter Dental, Inc., as the first historically protected landmark in the Sunnyside community. This designation recognizes the site as a place that possess’ exceptional dedication and quality in highlighting the historic heritage of the Sunnyside community.
The honor is a tribute to the late Dr. Zeb F. Poindexter, Jr. who was the first African American to graduate from University of Texas School of Dentistry in 1956. That same year he opened a dental practice in the Chocolate Bayou neighborhood of southeast Houston. Around 1960, he moved the office to Sunnyside and served the community for fifty years before retiring in 2000.
The office building is historically significant for its original owner, the original architect and as a visible reminder of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the city. The building was designed by the late John S. Chase, the first African American student to enroll at the University of Texas-School of Architecture in 1950 and the first licensed African American architect in the state of Texas. The building’s most distinctive architectural feature
In addition, they were given their first crosswalk connecting two clinics on Cullen and Edfield.
The HFT once again congratulates and joins in with the Poindexter Family and their team, as they celebrate this monumental achievement.