“”The rural settlement of Little Egypt began when former slave Jeff Hill bought a tract of approximately thirty acres of land across Thurgood Lane from this marker in 1883. By the 1920s, the Egypt Chapel Baptist Church and a one-room school had been added to a growing number of homesteads on the tract. Due to Little Egypt’s early establishment and distance from Dallas, for more than seventy years it retained many of its rural characteristics despite the growing encroachment of urban development. In 1962, however, the entire community collectively sold their property to developers. The church was relocated to South Dallas, where it remains as a testament to African American accomplishment and perseverance in Texas.””

From Little Egypt Cemetery Placard:

“”Established in 1896, Little Egypt Cemetery was designated as a burial ground for the community known as Little Egypt. The community was established where Northwest Highway and Ferndale Road intersect today. After the Civil War, former slaves John (also known as Jeff) and Hanna Hill and Ephriham and Amanda Floyd established a freedmantown. One of several freedmantowns established in Dallas County, this one was christened “”Egypt””, a symbolic reference to their exit out of bondage. It is also commonly referred to as “”Little Egypt””.

From Egypt Chapel Baptist Church website (egyptchapel.org):

“”We have a proud 142-year history to look back on. Egypt Chapel Baptist Church was organized by former slaves on April 10, 1880, in the Little Egypt community which was located off Northwest Highway and Abrams Road, near White Rock Lake within the city limits of Dallas in Dallas County. The community began after the Civil War, when the site was deeded to former slaves Jeff and Hanna Hill. Little Egypt Baptist Church, and the community became known as Little Egypt because the residents were delivered from bondage, as in the biblical story. Though Little Egypt was officially within the Dallas city limits, it remained a distinct community until 1962, when developers bought the thirty to thirty-five acre tract, which was across the street from Northlake Shopping Center, for retail development. At this time community residents were served by dirt streets and lacked running water, electricity, gas, and indoor plumbing. Of the twenty-eight families who owned land in the community, two-thirds wished to find new homes close to one another. Since the houses in Little Egypt were dilapidated and some residents feared the buildings would be condemned, they were in favor of selling the land. In May 1962 the 200 residents of Little Egypt moved to their new homes, led by community patriarch William Hill, who was eighty-nine at the time. Most of the families moved to either the Oak Cliff area or to Rockwall County.