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The seven wonders of Fort Bend County
  
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By DIANE TEZENO
From historic treasures to retail meccas, Fort Bend County is filled with icons that make it a special place.
Wherever you go, you can find places that make the county unique and special, and create a special atmosphere.
Here are the Sun’s picks for the seven landmarks that make Fort Bend County what it is.
Sugar Land Town Square
Sugar Land Town Square has become a premiere community gathering spot and top dining and shopping destination for residents and visitors in Fort Bend County.
It’s 1.4-acres of open green space is surrounded by more than 30 retail shops and some of the area’s best restaurants, all within walking distance, making it one of the area’s top community hot spots.
Visitors can hobnob with friends in various settings, from enjoying the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, dancing the night away under the stars or watching a movie under the moon.
The square also has become the area’s premiere entertainment hot spot as local bands and performers take the stage to provide audiences with one-of-a-kind entertainment and talent showcases.
The square also is becoming a top work destination, and will become home to Minute Maid early next year and countless other businesses set to fill the two Class A office buildings currently under construction.
First Colony Mall
Since opening its doors in 1996, First Colony Mall has become a fashion and culinary destination for residents of Fort Bend and surrounding counties.
The 1.045 million-square-foot shopping center draws shoppers from throughout the south Texas coastal area, attracting more than 15,000,000 visitors annually.
First Colony Mall, a single-level, regional shopping center, provides shoppers with a host of retail choices, including four high end anchor stores - Dillard’s, Dillard’s Mens, JCPenney and Macy’s.
Owned by General Growth Properties, the shopping center debuted a new 125,000-square-foot lifestyle expansion in October 2006, attracting more national retailers and Barnes & Noble Booksellers as an anchor for the outdoor area.
The expansion added more sought-after national retailers to the center, including such names as Pottery Barn, Coldwater Creek, a trio of stores from Chico’s and more.
The center is comprised of a number of stores, including The Apple Store, Coach and Forever 21, Champs, G by GUESS, Sephora and Zumiez.
Other national retailers at the center include Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, aeropostale, ALDO Shoes, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Gap, GapKids/Baby Gap, James Avery, Kay Jewelers, soma by Chico’s, Swarovski, Talbots, White House/Black Market and Williams-Sonoma.
In addition to an array of shopping choices, First Colony Mall offers a restaurant plaza that provides fine dining options, such as The Cheesecake Factory and Kona Grill.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, tagged by Zagat as serving the best pizza in New York City, opened its first Texas location. Other eateries joining the center recently are Black Walnut Café, Paciugo Gelato.
Adding to the entertainment quotient of First Colony Mall is the 24-screen AMC theater, adjacent to the shopping center.
First Colony Mall is located in Sugar Land at U.S. Highway 59 South and Highway 6.
Brazos Bend State Park
Purchased by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1976, the park covers approximately 5,000 acres with an eastern boundary of 3.2 miles along the Brazos River. The park opened to the public in April 1984 and since that time has served over half a million visitors per year from all around the world.
The Brazos State Park has much to offer including hiking and biking on approximately 37 mile of trails, wildlife viewing and photography, fishing, educational programs, nature center exhibits, the George Observatory, picnic areas, camping, school field trips and special events.
Brazos River
The changing course of the Brazos River carved out the current landscape which alters slowly from year to year. There are, however, flat uplands typical of coastal prairies. These prairie remnants, which once supported animal species such as bison, prairie chickens and red wolves, are part of one of the most endangered ecosystems. In addition to the prairies, two other major ecosystems include mixed hardwood forests and various wetland habitats including lakes, marshes, swamps and various watersheds including Big Creek and the Brazos River.
With this mix of ecosystems, wildlife is diverse and abundant. The white-tailed deer is the largest of more than 25 species of mammals which also includes bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, gray and red foxes, river otters and feral hogs. Approximately 21 species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded, with the smaller turtles, lizards, snakes and frogs overshadowed by the timeless American alligator. Alligator viewing is the most popular draw for visitors. Bird watching runs a close second with almost 300 species of birds on the park’s checklist.
Freedom Tree
The 200-plus-year-old Freedom Tree still stands on the site of the former Palmer Plantation in Missouri City and is said to be the place where area slaves learned of their freedom.
Gen. Gordon Grainger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 ,and read a proclamation announcing the end of slavery in Texas.
The proclamation formed the basis of the annual Juneteenth festivities, which celebrate the abolition of slavery in the Lone Star State.
On an early summer day, a white overseer on the Palmer Plantation and Ed Gibbs, who had been the personal driver for Judge Edward Palmer, owner of the plantation, gathered all of the workers under the branches of the tree and announced their freedom as individuals.
According to the commemorative plaque marking the site, Gibbs also announced that planting and cultivation would continue and told the former slaves they were welcome to stay on the Palmer Plantation if they chose and that their only wages would be a share of their crops.
It was in this light that slavery ended on the Palmer land beneath the spreading boughs of the Freedom Tree.
Stafford Performing Arts and Convention Center
One of the top performing arts and entertainment hot spots in the county, the Stafford Centre serves as the venue for numerous cultural arts, theatrical and musical performances.
The 90,000-square-foot facility furnishes space for a range of needs, including corporate rollouts, economic impact events, international dance competitions, community theater, cultural festival, consumer shows, weddings, galas, meetings, major outdoor events and world-renowned theatrical performances.
The center is comprised of a 1,150-seat state of the art performing arts theater, 5,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 20,000 square feet of ballroom space and over 28 acres of outdoor festival green space.
Numerous national touring artists and acts have performed at the Stafford Centre including America, Styx, Ray Price, Peabo Bryson, Johnny Rivers, Moscow Ballet, Forever Tango, Dionne Warwick and Fort Bend Theatre.
The facility, located at 10505 Cash Road in Stafford, also is home to the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra.
For more information, visit www.staffordcentre.com.
Imperial Sugar Refinery
The Imperial Sugar Company sugar refinery, built in 1896, served as a commercial raw sugar mill in the area’s growing sugar growing and mill industry.
The $1.5 million Sugar Land refinery manufactured 100,000 pounds per day of white refined sugar and in time had the capacity to process raw sugar at a rate of up to 4 million pounds per day. The refinery closed in May 2003.
According to the company’s website, the company originally began in 1843, when Samuel May William’s sugar crop on the Oakland Plantation was large enough to justify the installation of a commercial raw sugar grinding mill, establishing the site of the future Imperial Sugar Company.
Imperial Sugar Company, known as one of the oldest businesses in Texas operating at the same location for over 150 years, began its business in the early 1900s at its current site in Sugar Land, taking over sugar refining operations that had been underway since the mid-1800s.
In recent years, the site, including adjacent-lying properties, has been the subject of historical preservation and redevelopment plans.
Wherever you go, you can find places that make the county unique and special, and create a special atmosphere.
Here are the Sun’s picks for the seven landmarks that make Fort Bend County what it is.
Sugar Land Town Square
Sugar Land Town Square has become a premiere community gathering spot and top dining and shopping destination for residents and visitors in Fort Bend County.
It’s 1.4-acres of open green space is surrounded by more than 30 retail shops and some of the area’s best restaurants, all within walking distance, making it one of the area’s top community hot spots.
Visitors can hobnob with friends in various settings, from enjoying the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, dancing the night away under the stars or watching a movie under the moon.
The square also has become the area’s premiere entertainment hot spot as local bands and performers take the stage to provide audiences with one-of-a-kind entertainment and talent showcases.
The square also is becoming a top work destination, and will become home to Minute Maid early next year and countless other businesses set to fill the two Class A office buildings currently under construction.
First Colony Mall
Since opening its doors in 1996, First Colony Mall has become a fashion and culinary destination for residents of Fort Bend and surrounding counties.
The 1.045 million-square-foot shopping center draws shoppers from throughout the south Texas coastal area, attracting more than 15,000,000 visitors annually.
First Colony Mall, a single-level, regional shopping center, provides shoppers with a host of retail choices, including four high end anchor stores - Dillard’s, Dillard’s Mens, JCPenney and Macy’s.
Owned by General Growth Properties, the shopping center debuted a new 125,000-square-foot lifestyle expansion in October 2006, attracting more national retailers and Barnes & Noble Booksellers as an anchor for the outdoor area.
The expansion added more sought-after national retailers to the center, including such names as Pottery Barn, Coldwater Creek, a trio of stores from Chico’s and more.
The center is comprised of a number of stores, including The Apple Store, Coach and Forever 21, Champs, G by GUESS, Sephora and Zumiez.
Other national retailers at the center include Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, aeropostale, ALDO Shoes, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Gap, GapKids/Baby Gap, James Avery, Kay Jewelers, soma by Chico’s, Swarovski, Talbots, White House/Black Market and Williams-Sonoma.
In addition to an array of shopping choices, First Colony Mall offers a restaurant plaza that provides fine dining options, such as The Cheesecake Factory and Kona Grill.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, tagged by Zagat as serving the best pizza in New York City, opened its first Texas location. Other eateries joining the center recently are Black Walnut Café, Paciugo Gelato.
Adding to the entertainment quotient of First Colony Mall is the 24-screen AMC theater, adjacent to the shopping center.
First Colony Mall is located in Sugar Land at U.S. Highway 59 South and Highway 6.
Brazos Bend State Park
Purchased by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1976, the park covers approximately 5,000 acres with an eastern boundary of 3.2 miles along the Brazos River. The park opened to the public in April 1984 and since that time has served over half a million visitors per year from all around the world.
The Brazos State Park has much to offer including hiking and biking on approximately 37 mile of trails, wildlife viewing and photography, fishing, educational programs, nature center exhibits, the George Observatory, picnic areas, camping, school field trips and special events.
Brazos River
The changing course of the Brazos River carved out the current landscape which alters slowly from year to year. There are, however, flat uplands typical of coastal prairies. These prairie remnants, which once supported animal species such as bison, prairie chickens and red wolves, are part of one of the most endangered ecosystems. In addition to the prairies, two other major ecosystems include mixed hardwood forests and various wetland habitats including lakes, marshes, swamps and various watersheds including Big Creek and the Brazos River.
With this mix of ecosystems, wildlife is diverse and abundant. The white-tailed deer is the largest of more than 25 species of mammals which also includes bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, gray and red foxes, river otters and feral hogs. Approximately 21 species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded, with the smaller turtles, lizards, snakes and frogs overshadowed by the timeless American alligator. Alligator viewing is the most popular draw for visitors. Bird watching runs a close second with almost 300 species of birds on the park’s checklist.
Freedom Tree
The 200-plus-year-old Freedom Tree still stands on the site of the former Palmer Plantation in Missouri City and is said to be the place where area slaves learned of their freedom.
Gen. Gordon Grainger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 ,and read a proclamation announcing the end of slavery in Texas.
The proclamation formed the basis of the annual Juneteenth festivities, which celebrate the abolition of slavery in the Lone Star State.
On an early summer day, a white overseer on the Palmer Plantation and Ed Gibbs, who had been the personal driver for Judge Edward Palmer, owner of the plantation, gathered all of the workers under the branches of the tree and announced their freedom as individuals.
According to the commemorative plaque marking the site, Gibbs also announced that planting and cultivation would continue and told the former slaves they were welcome to stay on the Palmer Plantation if they chose and that their only wages would be a share of their crops.
It was in this light that slavery ended on the Palmer land beneath the spreading boughs of the Freedom Tree.
Stafford Performing Arts and Convention Center
One of the top performing arts and entertainment hot spots in the county, the Stafford Centre serves as the venue for numerous cultural arts, theatrical and musical performances.
The 90,000-square-foot facility furnishes space for a range of needs, including corporate rollouts, economic impact events, international dance competitions, community theater, cultural festival, consumer shows, weddings, galas, meetings, major outdoor events and world-renowned theatrical performances.
The center is comprised of a 1,150-seat state of the art performing arts theater, 5,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 20,000 square feet of ballroom space and over 28 acres of outdoor festival green space.
Numerous national touring artists and acts have performed at the Stafford Centre including America, Styx, Ray Price, Peabo Bryson, Johnny Rivers, Moscow Ballet, Forever Tango, Dionne Warwick and Fort Bend Theatre.
The facility, located at 10505 Cash Road in Stafford, also is home to the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra.
For more information, visit www.staffordcentre.com.
Imperial Sugar Refinery
The Imperial Sugar Company sugar refinery, built in 1896, served as a commercial raw sugar mill in the area’s growing sugar growing and mill industry.
The $1.5 million Sugar Land refinery manufactured 100,000 pounds per day of white refined sugar and in time had the capacity to process raw sugar at a rate of up to 4 million pounds per day. The refinery closed in May 2003.
According to the company’s website, the company originally began in 1843, when Samuel May William’s sugar crop on the Oakland Plantation was large enough to justify the installation of a commercial raw sugar grinding mill, establishing the site of the future Imperial Sugar Company.
Imperial Sugar Company, known as one of the oldest businesses in Texas operating at the same location for over 150 years, began its business in the early 1900s at its current site in Sugar Land, taking over sugar refining operations that had been underway since the mid-1800s.
In recent years, the site, including adjacent-lying properties, has been the subject of historical preservation and redevelopment plans.
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rbmeoe wrote on Jan 7, 2009 12:54 PM: