Nacogdoches Historic Sites hosts Ribbon Cutting for Zion Hill Church Historic Site

 
The City of Nacogdoches is excited to announce the grand opening of Zion Hill Baptist Church Historic Site!
The Grand Opening celebration will kick off with a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting on Tuesday, July 18th at 11am at 324 N. Lanana St. The ceremony will include a presentation from speakers representing the City of Nacogdoches, the Nacogdoches County Historical Foundation and the Zion Hill community.
“ After years of dedicated effort and countless hours invested in this restoration project, we are so excited to open the doors and start sharing the history of the church and the Zion Hill community”.-Brian W. Bray, Community Services Director.
Zion Hill was the third home of Zion Hill 1st Baptist Church which started in 1878 by Reverend Lawson Reed. Built in 1914, the church was designed by famed architect Diedrich Rulfs. The restoration of Zion Hill was initiated by the Nacogdoches County Historical Foundation in 2000 when church elders donated the building to be restored. The Foundation, with help from city staff, worked on fundraising, building surveys, design plans and exterior restoration. The church was then given to the City of Nacogdoches in 2010 to complete the interior restoration. Fundraising efforts and meticulous planning persisted until the start of the primary restoration phase in March of 2020.
In December of 2022, Nacogdoches Historic Sites held a soft opening of the church for the City Council, the Nacogdoches County Historical Foundation, donors and members of the Zion Hill Congregation. Final projects continued through the Spring of 2023.
“The final element that we were waiting on to open was the installation of the ADA lift. Zion Hill was designed and built long before ADA laws. A big part of the restoration was making the historic church accessible to visitors of all abilities”.-Veronica Amoe, Historic Sites Manager