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This is the historic Heritage Presbyterian Church, or at least the original chapel.  Built in 1916 by German architects, this chapel has been moved twice before ending up here in 1980.  It has been restored several times. Visit their website at www.heritagepresbyterian.org .

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853018-R1-043-20.jpg The historical medallion close up.

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Next to Heritage Presbyterian church, there is the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Station #9, built in 1985 shortly after a lightning storm burned down the original Copperfield Racquet Club. 

The Racquet Club was part of Copperfield's plan for upscale living.  Somewhere close to all the subdivisions, where residents can play racquetball and exercise.  Sadly, during a powerful storm in 1985, the original building was struck by lightning, and burned to the ground.  I remember my dad dragging me out of bed at age 5 to watch the fire from the end of our street.  I remember lots of fire engines on the scene, but this was before Copperfield has it's own fire station, so I imagine there was a slight delay in putting out the fire.   Shortly after, the Racquet Club was rebuilt completely re-vamped, and the Volunteer Fire Station at HWY-6 and Willow River was built.

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Sweet Mesquite, a local tex-mex restaurant, was opened in 1986, and has remained in business to this day.  Inside, they still have their original flooring and walls, and the old jukebox near the outdoor patio. A few units down was a video rental and camera shop called Photo 1 Video.  This was before Blockbuster and Hollywood Video came up.

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At the corner of Highway 6 and FM 529, there was once a seafood restaurant called Daddy Did It.  I remember them for their spicy hush puppies, and the black antique pickup truck parked inside that got abused by people's children.  At the tip of the same intersection is The Vitamin Shoppe, which is fairly new.  Before it, there was a Shell station, and before that, in the 80's, it was a Mobil Station.  Before THAT, it was once known as Wolf's Corner, where a local resident would hang the carcasses of slain coyotes and wolves on the fencepost, and people would drive past on occasion to see how many wolves' heads were hanging that particular day. (PHOTO PENDING)

Across the street at the same intersection is now a mega shopping center including a Target, Wal Mart, Petco, Blockbuster, Office Max, and many more shops, but did you know that as recently as 1994, the entire corner was just one big field.  The only structure near the intersection was a U-Haul propane filling station facing Highway 6.  It was erased when the shopping center expanded, but I remembered it from my youth because of the lot of stored cars, most of them classics, that could be seen through the chain link fence. I could not get a picture of this site.

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Before Tinseltown Theaters, there were two choices for movie theaters in Copperfield; Loews Theatres on West Rd., or General Cinema's Copperfield 6 on FM 529.  Sadly, Copperfield 6 closed in the early 2000's, and the theater was torn down completely, leaving only this street marquis, in the photo above, which was also later removed.  Loews survived until 2006.  The same shopping center that housed Loews was also home to Amalia's Mexican Restaurant, Eckerd Drug, Showtime Video Rental, and Funtime Arcade, all of which have since closed.  However, Yank Sing Chinese Buffet is still in business after circa 20 years, and so is the Kroger. (PHOTO PENDING)

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The above picture appears to be James Coney Island in Copperfield, but if you were living nearby in the 80's, you'd recognize the building behind it called Storage USA.  This was once a Furrow hardware store, which I believe closed circa 1995.

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Another photo of Storage USA (the old Furrow) up close.

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Looking southward along Highway 6 near West Little York.  The two shopping centers on the left have been around since the early 1980's.  Shipley's Donuts is still in business and can be seen in the photo, and to the left is a building for lease that was once a Toddle House restaurant from 1985.

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This is the Toddle House restaurant, which closed in the early 90's, and was a floral shop for a few years.  After the floral shop closed down, the empty building sat for lease.  This restaurant was part of a 1984 nationwide project by the Dobbs House Co. to re-vamp the Toddle House franchise, which was big in the 30's and 40's, but virtually died out in the 1970's.  This building opened in 1985, but evidently, the franchise never bounced back. 

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Side view of the Toddle House building.  The front deck and ceiling fans were not originally part of the restaurant.  Upon re-visiting the building on April 27, I noticed a crew of workers tearing down the front patio in an effort to tidy up the building for lease.  I was also told that it leases for $4000 a month.  If anyone wants to save this building, call 713-627-2711 for leasing info.

http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0531551-R1-E025.jpg  The back entrance of the Toddle House building, rusted and spotted with graffiti. Due to years of neglect, the building is in need of serious renovation, and could be threatened with demolition if nobody leases it and repairs it.  It would make a good diner or neighborhood bar. 

 http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853145-R1-043-20_1.jpg Back view of the Toddle House

http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853145-R1-039-18_1.jpg This is the inside of the old Toddle House, wallpapered appropriately for the former flower shop.  You can still tell where the booths and bar were. 

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/toddle.jpg This was taken in November 2005 while the Toddle House began renovation.  Notice the porch is gone, showing the original entryway, the power is on inside, and the rear side window has been bricked up.

http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0800145-R1-011-4_1.jpg This Signature Kroger on Highway 6 near West Little York was once the only Kroger in the area.  I remember going shopping here with my mom as far back as my memory goes, and so does the Payless Shoe Source next door.  There was also a Weiner's clothing store further down, but it closed in 1996.

http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0800145-R1-015-6_1.jpg  Does anyone remember Red Top Burgers?  Milkshakes too?  Back in the early 1980's, when the community was new, this burger/shake outlet was the only fast food place open late.  It was later built into a Monterrey's Tex Mex, and now is is Tortuga Cantina, located in the same parking lot as the Kroger near Little York.

http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853145-R1-035-16.jpg  At the southeast corner of Highway 6 and West Little York is Houston Garden Centers, but the property was once an apartment complex of all things.  It suffered more than one fire, and was finally torn down in the early 90's. 

http://www.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853145-R1-037-17.jpg  The curbs and foundations of the old apartments can still be seen under the arrangements of plants and trees, and even the old power boxes.

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853018-R1-039-18.jpg For years, the northwest corner of Highway 6 and West Little York has been shrouded in mystery beyond acres of trees.  An individual, whose name is yet unknown to me, owned a large 19th century stlye mansion buried deep within the foliage at the end of a mile-long driveway.  All the property leading up to Highway 6 was private as well, until now, apparently.  In the past weeks I have seen utility equipment remove all the trees, revealing the aged plantation home.  I have heard stories about it being haunted as well.  If anyone has any info on this unique landmark, let me know.

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/theoldcopperfield/0853018-R1-037-17.jpg These two shacks, facing Highway 6, are also apparently part of the vast property at Highway 6 and West Little York.  They were totally hidden from view until April 2005, and I never knew they were there.  They appear to be very, very old, and the one on the left reads, "KEEP OUT, OR BE SHOT."  As of April 27, 2005, these two shacks were bulldozed. 

NEW INFORMATION: 7-20-05:A guest informed me that the mansion in the above photos was and is still owned by the Neiman-Marcus family trust.  Apparently, some land was sold for commercial/retail use.  The mansion will soon be hidden again. 

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