Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church

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.

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2009. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7383, -95.3580 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Fourth Missionary Baptist Church (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Blue Triangle Branch, Y. W. C. A. Building, Covington, Dr. Benjamin Jesse, and Grand Court Order of Calanthe of Texas.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015742. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.