Zion Hill First Baptist Church
Nacogdoches, Texas
see information below the photos
Photo Mike Gross, March 2022. From the west, showing the symmetry of the building
Photo Mike Gross March 2022. From the south, including part of Oak Grove cemetery.
Zion Hill First Baptist Church
Nacogdoches, Texas
Zion Hill First Baptist Church, one of the oldest Black Baptist congregations in Texas, was organized by the Rev. Lawson Reed in 1878. It occupied two smaller buildings before this historic building at the corner of Lanana and Bois d’Ark, adjacent to the historic Oak Grove Cemetery, was completed in 1914. Dietrich Rulfs, a noted Nacogdoches architect known for his creative melding of architectural styles, designed the church combining Victorian styling with Gothic Revival detailing.
The church was a hub of activity for its congregation and the larger Black community in Nacogdoches for many years. By the mid-1980's the building was badly in need of extensive work, and the congregation moved to a new building in 1987. The building has been vacant for most of the time since 1987, and is currently managed by City of Nacogdoches's Historic Sites Department. A major restoration project is under way, as can be seen in the photos.
Regular updates, and the opportunity to contribute to the restoration work, are available at the City of Nacogdoches web site [see other resources below].
Location: 324 N. Lanana St
(corner of Lanana and Bois d’Arc, adjacent to Oak Grove Cemetery)
coordinates: 31.605132100,-94.648756700
Photos: Mike Gross, March 2022
Note: the symmetry of the building is not obvious unless it is viewed from the west, across Lanana St.
other resources/information (see the Resources page for complete citations):
City of Nacogdoches web site: https://www.nactx.us/882/Zion-Hill-Baptist-Church