This old hall, known familiarly as Juergen’s Hall, once rang with music and laughter as Cypress-area residents gathered
there for dances and other social gatherings. It was a place of respite from
the daily grind of sweat and hard work to keep body and soul together.
The hall was built around 1900 but was severely damaged by the 1915 hurricane.
It was then rebuilt and enlarged to its present configuration and again became
a place of relaxation and fun for the local citizenry. The Hargrave
’s Band played at Juergen’s Hall in 1935; gents paid 40 cents admission, ladies were admitted free of
charge.
Times do change, though, and the hall changed as well. It was no longer used for its original purpose; instead, it
served as a hardware store, feed store and peanut storage site. Later, an
apartment was built in the rear of the building. It even served as the
courtroom for Justice of the Peace Gene Zaboroski when he was elected to that
office in 1967. Think of the stories this old hall could tell if only it could
talk!
Today, the hall is a focal point of Cypress Top Historic Park, located on Old
Highway 290 behind Lowe
’s in Cypress. It has been restored by Harris County and is once again being used
for all kinds of gatherings such as reunions, birthday and anniversary
celebrations, wedding receptions, etc. In February, laughter and story telling
of all kinds rang out as the Cypress Historical Society held its quarterly
meeting in Juergen
’s Hall. A slide show, old maps showing the Cypress area in 1900 and earlier,
genealogy and sharing memories of life as it
“used to be” were all part of the program.
If you would like to join in the fun of learning about the history of Cypress
through Cypress Historical Society programs, please e-mail Jane Ledbetter at
janel_54@att.net.
Cypress Top Historic Park and Museums are open every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. for drop-in tours. To schedule a tour for a different day and time, please
call 281-357-5324. Docents from the Cypress Historical Society will be
available to show you around and answer your questions about the park and its
buildings.
