Allen Chapel (Allen Chapel Community)

Houston County, TX

Status: Located

Year Established: 1870s

Council of Governments: DETCOG

Public History: Allen Chapel, a mile south of Ratcliff off State Highway 7 in eastern Houston County, was established in the 1870s by the emancipated slaves of area landowners. An African Methodist Episcopal church was organized there around 1900 and built a building in 1903 on land purchased from Nat Allen, after whom the community was named. A one-room schoolhouse was built in 1910. In the mid-1930s the community comprised the church, the school, and a number of houses. The school building was moved to Kennard in 1968 but returned in 1985. In the early 1990s Allen Chapel was a dispersed farming community with a church, a community center, and a number of houses. Descendents of many original settlers still lived in the area.

Community History: Emancipated slaves of pioneer landowners in nearby communities established homes and farms here in the 1870s. Life centered around the church and school near this site. Land for the African Methodist Episcopal Church was purchased from Nat Allen, one of the original church trustees, for whom the community was named. The one-room schoolhouse was moved to Kennard (3 mi. W) in 1968, but was returned to the Allen Chapel Community in 1985. Descendants of many of the original settlers still live here.