When African Americans were officially emancipated in Texas on Juneteenth, June 19th, 1865, many journeyed from Galveston and surrounding rural areas all the way to Houston, Texas. A thriving community of freed people began to grow. With homes, schools, churches, independent businesses, and nearly 1000 people, Freedmen’s Town was born.
The Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy challenges itself to “Tell the Story of Freedom”. Its mission: to protect and preserve this rich history of Freedmen’s Town for the benefit of future generations. Freedmen’s town gave birth to many prominent leaders and multi-talented men and women in its time, and we gladly accept the responsibility of ensuring their stories get told.
In addition to the memory of Freedmen’s Town, the Conservancy are also dedicated to protecting the physical buildings within that remain and prevent the gradual erasure of the Freedmen’s Town Historic District. The Conservancy recently purchased 1609 Saulnier St., an original contributing home built in 1928, that was at risk of being demolished. The preservation effort around 1609 Saulnier St. has become one of the Conservancy’s hallmark programs, as the purchase, renovation, management, and development of the property will serve as the FIRST permanently affordable home in Freedmen’s Town. A qualified home-buyer, in partnership with the Houston Community Land Trust (HCLT), will have the opportunity to build a family legacy and have a lifelong impact both for themselves and the community.
The Conservancy has undertaken a variety of similar initiatives in the community to support community engagement, education, and heritage tourism, one of them being an official Visitors Center, scheduled to open 2024. Locals and visitors alike will finally be able to experience the living history of Freedmen’s Town through sight, sound, and touch. Located in the heart of the Freedmen’s Town’s Heritage District, the Visitors Center will serve not just as a point of access and orientation, but a place to gather and celebrate stories of human freedom.
The Conservancy is “Telling the Story of Freedom”. If you have not visited Freedmen’s Town, the Conservancy looks forward to giving you a tour of the first and oldest freedmen settlement in Houston.
Visit their website: https://houstonfreedmenstown.org/
