Freedmen’s Town Museums

06/22/2026

This month, the Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Inc. is proud to feature the Isabella Simms & Pauline Gray Cottage.
This historic home once belonged to Isabelle Simms, a widowed, domestic servant who purchased this property in 1874. She was one of the few single Black women who accomplished this feat in Freedmen’s Town. Later, she and Pauline Gray owned and lived in the 1907 cottage.

Today, we urgently need to raise $150,000 to construct an innovative connected pier & beam foundation to secure both this historic cottage and our new public building.

Please help us protect this landmark:
📬 By Mail: Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Inc., P.O. Box 130726, Houston, TX 77219-0726

🌐Visit our website www.freedmenstownmuseums-houston.org/

06/21/2026

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth from Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Inc.! 🏛️✨
Juneteenth is a time of reflection, celebration, and homecoming. In Freedmen's Town, our heritage lives in the very structures and brick streets built by formerly enslaved pioneers. Today, we celebrate their enduring legacy and reaffirm our commitment to preserving their homes.
Invest in history this Juneteenth. Your support ensures these landmarks stand for generations to come.
👉Visit our website today to learn more about our ongoing historic preservation projects and make a donation: www.freedmenstownmuseums-houston.org/

06/17/2026

Several Freedmen’s Town residents were associated with the Black and Tan Party, a faction of the White Republican political party. (Party of Abraham Lincoln).

Attorney J. Vance Lewis was the most prominent member along with another fiery speaker Olivia M. Turner, wife of minister and educator G.B.M. Turner. Others include Rev. N.P. Pullum, Pauline G. Patten, mother of Dr. Thelma Patten, editor and publisher of the Houston Informer C.F. Richardson, wife Ruby and Rev. E.H. Branch to name a few. Note: some of these women were also very active in the Houston Suffragists Movement.
Learn more about our history and book your tour today.

06/14/2026

🗓️ KIND REMINDER:
Our June celebrations kick off in just a few days!

Join Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford BH Yates Museum Inc., in a special collaboration with the Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH) and the Community Artists' Collective, for our landmark event:

🎼 Harmonies of Heritage: Celebrating the Legacy of Freedmen’s Town and the Matriarchs Who Helped Shape Houston’s Sound in the 21st Century.

This series honors the physical and "sonic history" of our community by celebrating our 2026 Honorees: Dr. Anne Lundy, Ms. Ruth Stewart, Dr. Gloria Harrison-Quinlan, and Ms. Ina Zellers.

📍 Where: J. Vance and Pauline Gray Lewis House Museum (1218 Wilson St.)
🎟️ Cost: This is a FREE event! (Private house museum tours can be reserved in advance for $25).

🛑 First Upcoming Session:
Thursday, June 18 (4 PM – 7 PM): Hosting Young Urban Professionals (Sponsored by the Alley Theater Houston)

Program Highlights:
Companion Exhibition of personal archives
Mini-documentary screenings by CMCH
Oral History "living transmission" panels

👇 Visit the site below or scan our QR code to secure your prepaid tour tickets and view the full month schedule (Sessions on June 18, 25, 27, and 30)!
🔗https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/x5nf92t

06/12/2026

We kicked things off at the El Dorado Ballroom for the official Juneteenth Houston kickoff party. Now that June is here, everyone at Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford BH Yates Museum Inc. is thrilled for the powerful lineup of events coming up this month!

📸 In our event photo: Historical Researcher and Genealogist Debra Blacklock-Sloan alongside Precinct 4 Staff Megan Blackwell and Brittany Little, who plays a critical role in bringing our history to light through her research.

From history tours to cultural celebrations, we have so much in store. Stay updated on all of our upcoming June activations at: www.Freedmenstownmuseums-houston.org

06/10/2026

Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum, Inc. is growing, and we need you!
✨We are looking for passionate volunteers to help us bring history to life in two key roles:
🗣️ Volunteer Docent: Share the profound stories of our historic district with the public.
💼 Volunteer Office Administrator: Support our mission and operations behind the scenes.

Help us keep the next generation connected to this vital history!
👉 Learn more and apply today: www.freedmenstownmuseums-houston.org/

06/08/2026

The legacy of Freedmen’s Town was built by the community, and it is sustained by people like you. 🙌Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum, Inc. invites you to become a part of living history. We are looking for volunteers to help us restore historic homes, assist with special projects, handle site beautification, and lead community outreach.

Be more than a visitor—lend your time and heart to our mission today!

✨ Get Involved:
🌐 Visit: www.freedmenstownmuseums-houston.org/volunteer/
📞 Call: 713-739-0163

06/06/2026

Celebrate Juneteenth, African American Music Appreciation Month, and the 30th Anniversary of the Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Inc with our upcoming series, Harmonies of Heritage!

Presented by Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston of the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Inc alongside the Community Music Center of Houston and the Community Artists' Collective, this event honors the physical and sonic history of our community through four incredible local musical icons: Dr. Anne Lundy, Ms. Ruth Stewart, Dr. Gloria Harrison-Quinlan, and Ms. Ina Zellers.

Come out to the J. Vance and Pauline Gray Lewis House Museum (1218 Wilson St.) for free events all month long:
Thursday, June 18 (4 PM–7 PM)
Thursday, June 25 (4 PM–7 PM)
Saturday, June 27 (10 AM–1 PM)
Tuesday, June 30 (10 AM–1 PM)

Enjoy companion exhibitions, documentary screenings, and living history panels. Admission is free, and private tours can be pre-purchased for $25.

Visit our https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/x5nf92t/lp/8598cae0-7181-474e-ac1d-7205b5ea05f2 to learn more and book your tour!

06/05/2026

In the spring of 1918, Freedmen’s residents educator E.O. Smith, secretary of the Civic Betterment League and newspaper publisher C.F. Richardson, submitted applications to the national branch of the N.A.A.C.P. For several months the application was in limbo because there could only be one group. In the end, Smith and his group withdrew their charter application and joined forces with Richardson’s group, whose charter was approved in August 1918.

Additional Freedmen’s Town residents who were members of the NAACP include court bailiff John M. Adkins, Attorney J. Vance Lewis, postal carrier M.B. Patten and wife, educators W.J. Smith, J.N. Dodson and J.C. McDade to name a few. As a matter of record the catalyst for establishing a Houston branch of the N.A.A.C.P. was the August 23, 1917, Camp Logan Riot, which occurred in the city because of racial tension.
If you want to learn more about Freedmen's town history, please book a tour today. Visit www.freedmenstownmuseums-houston.org/tour-our-historic-properties/