NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS–The Zion Hill Baptist Church on the corner of North Lanana and Bois d’arc streets has been the cornerstone of the Zion Hill Historic District since it was built in 1914. The building and the congregation are a very important piece of Nacogdoches history – a piece that we are trying to properly restore and re-open to the public.
In an effort to properly document and preserve the history of this building the City of Nacogdoches Historic Sites Department and the East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin State University will host a community collection day. This collection day is focused on gathering stories, documents and photographs related to the historic Zion Hill Baptist Church and its members.
The Community Collection Day will be held Saturday, February 17, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Zion Hill Baptist Church at 122 NE Stallings Drive. Anyone and everyone with a document, story, photograph or any other media related to the historic church is invited to come and share their story with us. The Historic Sites Department welcomes any donations of photographs, letters and other documents, including a digital donation wherein items will be scanned by the archivists from the East Texas Research Center and the original returned to the owners.
We understand that records and photographs related to church history can be very personal and some people may be hesitant to donate their family photographs or heirlooms. Bringing these items to a Community Collection Day is a wonderful way to share your history without giving it away. Everyone is welcome, and there will be an audio recorder on site for those wishing to share stories about the church. This collection will be housed with Stephen F. Austin State University and the City of Nacogdoches, and will be used during the Zion Hill Church restoration and in the future museum.
If you are unable to attend the community collection day but have information,
documents or photographs related to the historic church, please contact the Historic Sites Department and we will set up a time to come and meet with you. If there is a need, a second Collection Day will be scheduled. For additional information concerning the event, please contact the Jessica Sowell at 936-560- 4441 or email historicsites@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.
