A visionary rebirth of the cherished Mary Allen College as an Art Institute and Historic African American Art & History Museum.
Organization
A visionary rebirth of the cherished Mary
Allen College is created by the Mary Allen Museum of African American Art and History, Inc. The Corporation, established in 2000 is a non-profit organization in Crockett.
History
The Mary Allen Seminary for African American girls was established in 1886. The Seminary stood poignantly on the crest of a hill one mile north of the town square of Crockett, Texas. In 1933, the Seminary became coeducational and changed its name to Mary Allen Junior College; the school later became a four-year institution.
Through the years, the building suffered deterioration, fire, neglect and natural disasters dating from 1912 to the early seventies. Mary Allen College closed its doors in 1972. The Administration Building is the only remaining structure, and represents an uncommon survival awaiting an impending restoration.
The Museum
The Museum will provide art and history collections, an interpretive center, house local artifacts of African Americans, writing and genealogy workshops, provide a library of local African American genealogy, and much more. Plans also include carrying on the building's original purpose: to educate, through a children's learning center, and adult vocational classes. Economically, the restoration and reinvention will benefit the area, however most importantly, the Museum would make visible, a facet of of African American history that would continue to educate, inspire, and enrich lives.
