Nac Historic Sites

Nac Historic Sites These sites are free to tour!

City of Nacogdoches Historic Sites Division preserves and operates programs at four historic sites around downtown: The Sterne-Hoya House, the Durst-Taylor House, the Nacogdoches Railroad Depot, and Zion Hill Baptist Church. Sterne-Hoya House Museum and Library - 211 South Lanana open Wed-Sat 10-4
Durst-Taylor Historic House and Gardens - 304 North Street open Wed-Sat 10-4
Nacogdoches RR Depot - 101 Old Tyler Road open Thurs-Sat 10-4

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Experience "Cruzando Caminos: Singing Spanish Poetry in the South", a free program and concert exploring Spanish languag...
08/31/2026

Experience "Cruzando Caminos: Singing Spanish Poetry in the South", a free program and concert exploring Spanish language musical traditions from Texas, Louisiana, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Join us Friday, September 11, at Zion Hill Historic Site for Cruzando Caminos, presented by Texas Folklife in partnership with the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music and the City of Nacogdoches Historic Sites Division.

Cruzando Caminos, meaning “crossing paths,” brings together artists representing musical traditions connected through centuries of Spanish language verse. At the center of the program is the décima, a ten line poetic form that originated in Spain and traveled throughout the Spanish speaking Americas, developing new musical traditions across regions and generations.

The tradition has a special connection to Nacogdoches and El Camino Real. Décimas were being sung in Nacogdoches as early as 1797, when El Camino Real connected this area of East Texas with Louisiana, Mexico, and the wider Spanish speaking world.

The evening will feature local artists Juan Carlos and Jeana Ureña, Will Buckingham and Shane Lief of the Louisiana Décima Project, San Antonio based son jarocho singer Keli Rosa, and Chilean artist Isabel Mekis.

The program begins at 5:00 p.m. with an opening reception featuring food trucks with food available for purchase and an opportunity to meet the artists.

At 5:45 p.m., Dr. Hannah Snavely, an ethnomusicologist and professor at Stephen F. Austin State University, will moderate an artist talk exploring the history and movement of the décima and providing context for the musical traditions represented during the evening.

The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. Each artist or group will perform and introduce the audience to their own musical tradition before all five come together for a collaborative finale.

Friday, September 11
5:00 p.m. Opening Reception
5:45 p.m. Artist Talk
7:00 p.m. Concert

Zion Hill Baptist Church Historic Site
324 N. Lanana Street, Nacogdoches

The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.

RSVP Here: https://texasfolklife.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F54488

Learn more and register at texasfolklife.org. The registration link and additional event information can also be found at nactx.us/historicsites.

This portrait of Eva Ruoff Sterne offers a glimpse into the life of one of early Nacogdoches' most influential hostesses...
08/21/2026

This portrait of Eva Ruoff Sterne offers a glimpse into the life of one of early Nacogdoches' most influential hostesses.

Born in Germany, Eva Ruoff married Adolphus Sterne in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on June 2, 1828. The newlyweds immediately made their home in Nacogdoches, where they raised seven children and became an important part of the community's social and cultural life.

While Adolphus Sterne is often remembered for his role in Texas history, Eva played a vital role in making the Sterne home a welcoming gathering place. Described as a gracious hostess with a warm personality, she welcomed family, friends, business associates, and notable visitors into her home. Guests included some of the most recognizable names in early Texas history, such as Charles Stanfield Taylor, Sam Houston, Thomas J. Rusk, and David Crockett.

In a frontier town where entertainment was limited, Eva helped bring people together through dances, balls, and card parties. These gatherings were more than social events. They helped settlers maintain traditions, build friendships, and create a sense of community in a rapidly changing Texas.

This painting of Mrs. Sterne was created by artist Daniel Adams and is displayed in a frame made by Capt. Charles Phillips, adding another layer of local craftsmanship and history to the piece.

When you look at this portrait, what do you think life was like for a woman managing a household that welcomed everyone from neighbors to some of the most famous figures in early Texas history?

What did Nacogdoches look like through the eyes of one of its early historians?The George Louis Crocket Papers, held by ...
08/20/2026

What did Nacogdoches look like through the eyes of one of its early historians?

The George Louis Crocket Papers, held by the East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin State University, offer us a unique opportunity to see Nacogdoches through the artwork of a man who spent much of his life documenting and studying the history of East Texas.

George Louis Crocket (1861–1936) was a minister, historian, educator, artist, and civic leader. He served as rector of Christ Church in Nacogdoches from 1887 to 1908. After retiring from active ministry, Crocket became a professor of history emeritus at Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, where he continued his study and preservation of East Texas history.

Crocket was also a talented artist who enjoyed sketching the places and scenery around him. His collection includes original artwork, maps, charts, historical research, and other materials documenting the history of the region. Some of his drawings provide views of downtown Nacogdoches and its historic buildings, giving us a visual record of places that have changed over time.

His interest in history extended beyond his artwork. In 1932, Crocket published Two Centuries in East Texas, a history of San Augustine County and the surrounding region that became an important contribution to the study of East Texas history. At the time of his death in 1936, he was serving as president of the East Texas Historical Society.

Today, the George Louis Crocket Papers allow us to experience a little of East Texas as Crocket saw it.

Explore the digitized collection through the East Texas Research Center and see what historic Nacogdoches scenes you can find!

Explore the George Louis Crocket Papers collection

Photo Credit: East Texas Research Center, Stephen F. Austin State University, George Louis Crocket Papers collection.

Nacogdoches Historic Sites is proud to partner with Texas Folklife as they present Cruzando Caminos, an evening of music...
08/18/2026

Nacogdoches Historic Sites is proud to partner with Texas Folklife as they present Cruzando Caminos, an evening of music, storytelling, and poetry at historic Zion Hill Baptist Church on Friday, September 11.

RSVP HERE: https://texasfolklife.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F54488

Cruzando Caminos brings together five artists and centuries of Spanish-language musical and poetic tradition, centered around the décima, a ten-line poetic form with roots in Spain that traveled throughout the Spanish-speaking Americas. The tradition has a particularly meaningful connection to Nacogdoches, where décimas were being sung as early as 1797 along El Camino Real, connecting this region with Louisiana, Mexico, and the wider Spanish-speaking world.

The evening will feature local artists Juan Carlos and Jeana Ureña; Will Buckingham and Shane Lief of the Louisiana Décima Project; San Antonio-based son jarocho singer Keli Rosa; and Chilean artist Isabel Mekis. Together, the performers will share musical traditions with common poetic roots spanning Texas, Louisiana, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

The evening begins at 5:00 p.m. with a reception, where guests can meet the artists and purchase dinner from food trucks on site. At 5:45 p.m., Dr. Hannah Snavely, ethnomusicologist and professor at Stephen F. Austin State University, will moderate an artist talk exploring the history and movement of the décima tradition.

The concert begins at 7:00 p.m., with each artist or group introducing audiences to their own musical tradition before coming together for a collaborative finale.

We are excited to welcome Texas Folklife and these talented artists to Nacogdoches for an evening that connects music, history, and traditions that have crossed paths in our region for centuries.

At first glance, this may look like a decorative little brass ornament. Take a closer look, though, and you'll find a su...
08/14/2026

At first glance, this may look like a decorative little brass ornament. Take a closer look, though, and you'll find a surprisingly clever piece of writing equipment.

This is a pair of snail inkwells on a brass holder, a design that was particularly popular from about the 1870s through the 1890s. Each snail-shaped inkwell was designed to pivot on its base, making it much easier to use than its unusual shape might suggest.

When the snail was upright, the opening of the shell was sealed, helping prevent spills and reduce evaporation. When it was time to write, the shell could be rotated so that its open, trumpet-shaped end tilted downward. This caused the ink inside to pool near the opening, allowing the writer to dip a pen into the ink and get a full fill, even when there was very little ink left in the bottle.

Once finished, the snail could simply be rotated back upright, returning the inkwell to its sealed position.

The brass holder is decorative as well as functional, featuring stylized flowers and foliage. It was likely a handsome addition to a writing desk, combining everyday usefulness with the decorative craftsmanship popular during the late 19th century.

But this particular pair of inkwells has an even more interesting Nacogdoches connection.

They belonged to Frederick von der Hoya, often known as Fritz Hoya. Frederick was the son of Joseph von der Hoya, the German immigrant who purchased the Sterne-Hoya House in 1869.

Joseph and his sons were also important figures in Nacogdoches' commercial history. For roughly 40 years, the Hoya family operated a mercantile business in downtown Nacogdoches, supplying goods to the local community and surrounding area.

So this pair of inkwells once sat on the desk of a man whose family was deeply involved in both the business and daily life of Nacogdoches.

An object as small as an inkwell can tell us quite a bit, not only about how people wrote and conducted business, but also about the people who helped shape our community.

What other ordinary objects from the past might have a story hiding inside them?

When we picture Nacogdoches in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it can be easy to imagine a quiet little town: a few wood...
08/13/2026

When we picture Nacogdoches in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it can be easy to imagine a quiet little town: a few wooden or brick buildings, a dusty street, and not much happening.

But take a closer look at these photographs from around 1898.

The downtown square is full of movement. Horses stand tied along the street. Buggies make their way through town. People move in and out of the storefronts surrounding the square. And there doesn’t appear to be a parade, celebration, or other special event taking place. This is simply a glimpse of everyday life in Nacogdoches.

Historic Nacogdoches may have been smaller in population than the city we know today, but that certainly didn’t mean downtown was quiet.

By 1898, Nacogdoches was the county seat and an important commercial center for the surrounding area. People came into town to conduct business, shop, visit family and friends, attend to matters at the courthouse, stay in one of the town’s hotels, and take care of the countless necessities of everyday life.

And not everyone you saw downtown necessarily lived within the town itself.

For communities throughout the surrounding area, Nacogdoches was a place to come when you needed the services, businesses, government offices, hotels, and other resources that a growing town could provide. As the community and its visitors grew, so did the buildings needed to accommodate them, including larger commercial buildings and hotels.

That is something worth remembering when we look at historic photographs of downtown.

A large commercial building or a substantial hotel might seem oversized when we look at an old photograph and think of Nacogdoches as a small, quaint town. But the town wasn't only serving the people who lived here. On any given day, people from throughout the county and surrounding communities could be arriving by train, horseback, wagon, or buggy.

And these photographs give us a pretty good idea of what that could look like.

So the next time you picture Nacogdoches in 1898 as a quiet little town, take another look at photographs like these.

There may not have been cars, traffic lights, or four-lane roads, but there were horses, buggies, pedestrians, storefronts, and plenty of people trying to get somewhere.

Maybe navigating the square in 1898 wasn't all that different from navigating North Street or University Drive today.

Nacogdoches has been busy for a very long time.

What do you notice first when you look closely at these photographs?

Photo credit: Nac Historic Sites, Sterne-Hoya House and Library Collection & City of Nacogdoches Archive

Address

Zion Hill (Historic Sites Main Office): 324 N. Lanana St
Nacogdoches, TX
75961

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+19365605426

Website

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