Support Rural African-American Preservation Projects in Texas for Black History Month
February 21, 2024
Preservation Texas is actively working to protect endangered African-American historic buildings and cultural landscapes statewide, offering technical and financial support for rehabilitation projects through our Texas Rural African-American Heritage Grants Program, undertaking hands-on preservation work at the Hopewell Freedom Colony located at our Center for Rural Heritage, and serving as the fiscal sponsor for the Dr. Dickey House reconstruction project in Taylor.
In celebration of Black History Month, we are asking you to support the ongoing work we are engaged in because your contribution will ensure that these imperiled and important historic places survive!
Click the links below to learn more and donate to specific projects. OR if you would like your contribution to be distributed evenly among the projects below, click here.
Projects That Need Your Support
(Alphabetical by County)
Bethel Baptist Church
Circa 1920
Tennessee Colony (Anderson County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $25,000
This funding will make it possible to repair the damaged roof and bell tower, and to structurally reinforce the walls of church sanctuary.
“Bethel Baptist Church is more than a building. It is our family, and it is our future that stands upon our history and legacy. It has served this community for at least 150 years, which encompasses the Reconstruction Era. We are dedicated to being good stewards of this church in honor of our ancestors for as long as it takes.” - Gwendolyn Gipson, Church Member and Project Liaison
Mount Vernon A.M.E. Church
1921
Palestine (Anderson County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Matching Funds From the Church: $25,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $30,000
This funding will enable the sanctuary foundation and load bearing walls to be stabilized in preparation for a new roof system. This will require partial removal of original brick on the walls, careful removal of the stained glass windows, and protection of exposed walls and window openings until funding can be found to rebuild the roof system and reinstall the original material.
"Mount Vernon A.M.E. Church is a treasure that has stood proudly for many years as a leader in this community representing African-American heritage and culture. We’ve come this far by faith, standing on the cross pieces of our legacy.” - Tabitha Enge, Church Member and Project Liaison.
Mount Zion United Methodist Church
1893
Belton (Bell County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $25,000
This funding will make it possible to restore window sashes and transoms, install new wood louvers, repair the siding on the bell tower, and repair the decorative wood shingles on the gable ends of the building.
“Mount Zion UMC has stood for over 175 years, a beacon of physical and cultural history, with decades of community service. Walking inside the original sanctuary, one feels the significance of what this Church has meant for the Community in the past and now.” - Sam A. Listi, Belton City Manager
Dabney Hill Lodge Hall
Circa 1910
Snook (Burleson County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $25,000
This funding will go towards building a new foundation, rebuilding the walls on the first floor, and covering the openings with plywood until additional funding can be secured to install doors and windows.
“Preserving the Dabney Hill Lodge is important because it preserves our identity as African Americans. It is a reminder of what our ancestors endured and accomplished with limited resources. Restoring Dabney Hill will celebrate, honor and pay tribute to the Black leaders that worked hard to build this community many years ago.” - Jamonica Jackson, Vice President of Dabney Hill Missionary Baptist Church
Hopewell Freedom Colony
c. 1875 - c. 1935
Near Kosse (Falls County)
Grants Awards From Other Organizations: $12,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $35,000
This funding will enable Preservation Texas to undertake an archaeological survey to locate the original farmstead sites of the five founders of Hopewell Freedom Colony. Funding will also enable us to clear much of the vegetation that has taken over the Hopewell Cemetery, revealing lost headstones and making it possible for a ground penetrating radar survey to locate all burials. Funds are also needed to document surviving above-ground resources associated with Hopewell.
"Powerful stories of freedom and family are embodied in the Hopewell Freedom Colony. The survival of Hopewell as an intact and undisturbed archaeological site offers remarkable opportunities for research and rediscovery. Building connections with descendants to understand and interpret the site will provide Texans with access to a unique but fragile cultural landscape unlike anyplace else in Texas." - Evan Thompson, Executive Director of Preservation Texas
Palacios Colored School
Circa 1920
Palacios (Matagorda County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $35,000
Matching Funds From Sanford Community Center: $8,750
Funds Needed to Raise: $19,200
The grant funding will make it possible to undertake foundation work, replace corrugated wall panels with historically appropriate wood siding, fix broken windows, and replace two exterior doors. Additional funding will enable the building’s aging mechanical and electrical systems to be replaced.
"The teaching staff at the Palacios Colored School brought a standard of educational excellence to the community. The building now houses a community center that honors their work. In a place built for segregation due to bias and prejudice, we herald the accomplishments of today’s Palacios and celebrate Black History Month as we move toward the all-inclusive community that is our vision and goal.” - Robin Lewis, Director of the Sanford Community Center.
Wesley Chapel
1916
Corsicana (Navarro County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Matching Funds From Meetinghouse Revival: $25,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $80,000
The grant funding will enable the removal and cataloging of dozens of stained glass windows, repairing and replacing compromised structural roof elements, as well as foundation and wood siding repair, and repainting the building. Additional funds will support critical stabilization and weatherproofing measures that will be necessary to ensure that the building survives.
“Meetinghouse Revival believes we can preserve Black history by restoring our Black churches. These institutions, some of which have been meeting since just after the Civil War, are archives of memory, resilience, and resistance. Wesley Chapel is part of the legacy of Corsicana… With your help, it will remain a part of our future.” - Dr. Alysia Nicole Harris, Executive Director of Meeting House Revival
Concord Rosenwald School
1925
Near Mount Enterprise (Rusk County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Matching Funds From Concord High School Alumni Association: $25,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $128,000
This funding will facilitate the stabilization and weatherproofing of the building, which will require new piers to support the floor structure, new sills and floor joists, replacing deteriorated rafters, reinforcing exterior wall framing, and installing a new metal roof.
“The Concord Rosenwald School is a living testament to the shared commitment of Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington to African-American education during a challenging era. Your donation to this restoration project is a pledge to safeguard a crucial piece of our culture and heritage. Join us in transforming this landmark into a vibrant center for learning, a symbol of unity, and a legacy for a brighter future.” - Alpheus Moss, President of the Concord High School Alumni Association
Brenham Normal & Industrial College
Circa 1905
Brenham (Washington County)
Grant Award From Preservation Texas: $75,000
Matching Funds From the Jean Mills Jefferson Memorial Fund: $25,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $150,000
The grant funding will make it possible to repair the roof and rebuild the porches to ensure the building is structurally sound. Additional funding will enable the removal and replacement of non-original windows and siding that are deteriorated and leaking, with historically appropriate materials.
“The Brenham Normal and Industrial College was the result of the whole community coming together to address the needs of freedmen impacted by a lack of educational opportunities necessary to thrive and succeed. The campus is a historical gem in Washington County and is one of a few historic African American buildings remaining in the area today.” - David Porter III, Project Liaison
Dr. James Lee Dickey House
1926
Taylor (Williamson County)
Grant Award From St. David's Foundation: $500,000
Funds Needed to Raise: $500,000
This funding will make it possible to reconstruct the Dr. James Lee Dickey House, which was burned to the ground by an arsonist in 2022, in a manner that meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Reconstruction. The house will honor the legacy of Dr. Dickey by serving as a community wellness center, designed to provide Taylor residents with equitable access to medical care and social services.
