Marker Details

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church


2301 Nagle Street

Houston , 77004

Notes:
09HR13, Class of 2009, listed in THC Atlas with minimal information, not searchable; marker text approved by HCHC Marker Review Committee, but not finalized
Directions: From I-45/Gulf Freeway, south on Dowling three blocks, east on Hadley, three blocks to Nagel; marker on southeast corner of the intersection by corner of church

Key Time Period: 1866 - 1876 Reconstruction

Corretions/New Research:

Marker Text: Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church was one of three African American churches founded in Houston in 1866, the year after the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved Texans. The congregation was organized by the Rev. Henry Stewart, and first met in a tent on Commerce Street. In the fall of 1866, the Freedmen’s Bureau established a school on the church’s property for formerly enslaved children and adults, one of the first three such schools in Houston. After the closing of the Freedmen’s Bureau schools in 1870, the congregation continued to use their church as an educational facility as late as 1882.



In 1872, Stewart, along with church trustees, purchased a small lot in the Second Ward, fronting German Street (later Canal Street). Church structures were destroyed by fire in 1873, by a great "norther" in 1876, and by the great hurricane of 1900; each time, the church rebuilt. The congregation purchased property at 2301 Nagle Street in 1928, and a new edifice was constructed at this location in 1941. The property on Canal Street was sold in 1944. In 1963, the church was expanded, retaining the 1941 structure as the nucleus of the larger building. An adjacent parsonage was also added at this time.



As one of Houston’s earliest African American churches, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church has served as a mother church within its vicinity, aiding in the establishment of many churches throughout the years and fostering their growth. Today, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church continues in this role as an important institution within Houston’s African American community. (2009)



Marker is property of the State of Texas
Marker Type: Marker with Post
Historical Org: Texas Historical Commission (THC)

Key Map Information: 493 V

GPS Coordinates: 29 44.306, 95 21.480

Precinct No: 1

Marker No: 15742