Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston
a part of Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum, Inc.
Archaeology, Education and Preservation

Preservation

Our preservation programs are central to our mission. Unfortunately, this work is expensive, and financial considerations have always been a critical constraint on our progress. Your in-kind or monetary contributions are much appreciated and essential to helping us achieve our goals.

A community organisation in Freedmen’s Town, Houston, is campaigning for the use of Trenchless Technology to save the historic red brick streets from unnecessary damage.

Since the museum’s founding in 1996, our volunteers have devoted thousands of hours to preserving historic buildings in Freedmen’s Town. Professionals in the field of architecture, design, structural engineering, and construction management have generously donated pro-bono services. Prairie View A&M’s aspiring School of Architecture students and other institutions have also assisted. As a result, one of our historic buildings, the Rutherford B. H. Yates home, has been fully preserved, while others are in various states of preservation and repair.

Of the several hundred historic homesteads and churches that once formed a vibrant community, only a few dozen remain. The R. B. H. Yates Museum is the steward of six historic homes, some built by former community leaders. The museum also owns five historic vacant lots. These eleven properties are also archaeologically-significant. With so much of Freedmen’s Town’s legacy having fallen victim to the bulldozer, preserving these tangible sites has become more critical than ever.

Most recently, we have employed a mix of hired construction professionals and our crew of dedicated volunteer carpenters to make significant and visible progress in preserving the Nixon home.

Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston

Museum visits are by appointment only 713-739-0163 | information.ftm@gmail.com

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