AUSTIN, Texas — “It’s wonderful, it’s a gift,” Clarksville Community Development Corporation President Mary Reed said. “An under-told story.”
Reed and Pastor Steve Manning, of the Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, are on a mission to help preserve Clarksville’s place in history.
“It’s very important for us to have that connection to the past,” Manning said.
“People are very fascinated when they learn about Clarksville, and understand its significance and the importance of this house,” Reed said.
Thanks to a Heritage Tourism grant from the City of Austin, the Hezikiah Haskell House is now open to the public as a museum. The property is one of the few remaining structures that showcases the life of early freedman colonies post Civil War.
“Even though it was a lot of work to get to this point, it’s a great opportunity for us,” Reed said.
It’s a trip through time, dating back to the 1870s. And for many residents still in this area, a chance to reconnect with the past is quickly fading away.
“I’m 65 years old, anybody my age, younger or older, who can go back in the past can really appreciate where we came from,” Manning said.
A historic state and city landmark, the resident along with the nearby Sweet Home Baptist Church are almost all that remains of that time period.
“They created this community, they could practice their own religion, they could direct their own lives,” Reed said. “Yes, life was hard, and they had to work a lot, but they were free.”
Solidifying these foundations ensures the Capital City can continue to share its true cultural roots. The tourist attraction will be open every second and fourth Sunday of the month from 1 to 4 p.m. as well by appointment.
“There were bad times, hard times,” Manning said. “But they got through them. We learned how they got through them and we are stronger today for it.”