Friends of Dabney Hill Missionary Baptist Church

05/15/2025

Check it out!

Dabney Hill Freedom Colony is featured in the premiere episode of "Texas Monthly Presents: The Story" on PBS.

This full episode, SPACES, is now streaming on the PBS platform.

Physical spaces tell stories of where we come from and where we’re going.

03/20/2025

Dabney Hill Church receives 100K grant!

We are so grateful for the generous support of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund National Trust for Historic Preservation!

02/28/2023

On Sunday, February 12, 2023, the Dabney Hill community celebrated the dedication and unveiling of a Texas Historical Marker commemorating the early settlers of Dabney Hill Freedom Colony. County officials were on hand and other government officials and dignitaries sent resolutions and congratulatory letters in recognition of this event.

Thank you for your support - Greg Abbott, Lois Kolkhorst, Stan Gerdes for Texas House, County Judge Keith Schroeder, and Burleson County Tribune.

12/18/2021

To help in the renovation of the 100-year Ethiopian Star Prince Hall Masonic Lodge at Dabney Hill built by former slaves, send your donation payable to "Preservation Texas." Please put Dabney Hill in memo line. The money will be deposited in a restricted account. Please also include a brief statement that the donation is restricted to the stabilization of the historic Ethiopian Star Prince Hall Masonic Lodge at Dabney Hill. Send to:

Preservation Texas
c/o Dabney Hill Ethiopian Star Prince Hall Masonic Lodge Fund
P.O. Box 12832
Austin, TX 78711
Phone (512) 472-0102

12/09/2021

Watch this video to see why donating to the restoration project of Dabney Hill Church is so important.
https://youtu.be/aBB3ndHWiOE

Link to the full article below:
https://www.tclf.org/sites/default/files/microsites/landslide2021/locations/dabney.html

Fort Worth resident and Dabney Hill descendant Gloria Smith chronicles the Freedom Colony’s founding and the significance of returning to this cultural lands...

11/12/2020

Good news— a short documentary of Dabney Hill was accepted into the 2020 Houston Cinema Arts Festival! The name of the film is "Where it Stands." It is an online event this year due to Covid, and will screen on their website starting November 14 through November 22 (with purchase of $8 ticket). It is the story of the challenges faced to preserve Dabney Hill.

Below is a link to the film program. It is near the top. Title is "WHERE IT STANDS." Cost is $8.

Part of our Borders | No Borders competition. Sign up to meet the filmmakers at the Borders | No Borders Virtual Filmmaker Mixer on Saturday, November 21st at 12pm CST. Supported by Independent Media Arts.  » Read more about: Border | No Borders Documentary 1  »

02/14/2020

Dabney Hill appreciates the support of Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas. In conjunction with celebrating Black History Month, the museum released a new short documentary to its Texas Story Project which tells the compelling story of Dabney Hill community founded by freedmen. Artifacts belonging to the 115-year old church are part of the display. The film will be on view for a year, through January 2021! So if you’re in Austin, please visit the museum.

10/14/2019

Help revitalize Dabney Hill church on Oct. 22 by giving a donation online at BrazosValleyGives.org

08/25/2019

07/31/2019

Our own church member, Shantel Waldon, was Cinderella for a day on a shopping Spree, courtesy of the "Make A Wish" Foundation. The Burleson County Tribune covered the story (See article below).

07/16/2019

To our donors: We are so grateful to you for your generous gifts. Thank you to every individual, organization, and anonymous donors who have been supportive of sending donations to restore our building. We continue to accept donations to restore this sacred place built by former slaves. More information to come on how to donate.

07/11/2019

Congratulations to Dr. Roberts whose research on freedom colonies, such as Dabney Hill, continues to breathe new life in stories of our ancestors.

Andrea Roberts received a $50,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support her work documenting post-Civil War black settlements, Freedman’s Towns and urban enclaves.