History of Allen Chapel, Houston County: A Community of Emancipated Slaves
By: Christopher Long
Published: November 1, 1994
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.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Christopher Long, “Allen Chapel, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 09, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/allen-chapel-tx.
Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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HVAAU
- November 1, 1994
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