Situated at 2105 S Cynthia St, Mcallen, TX 78503, Heritage Village is a great way to understand what Allen has been like throughout its history. You can learn about how this suburb thrived and developed into precisely who they are today. You can explore the village’s past since 1840 when many immigrants started settling into this place. At Heritage Village, you will find old homes and buildings that have stood here for their entire history as well.
The Allen Christian Church is one of the most notable outbuildings you can find in this area. It was constructed back in 1918. It still stands as a physical reminder to so many people who have come here for decades after their time at church ended or just wanted something more than what they were able to provide themselves with during challenging economic times before World War II. The structures in this area are a perfect example of what towns used to look like. They’ve been restored so you can take time to walk around and admire their beauty, going back centuries-old history with each step.
The City of Allen developed a project to preserve pieces from its past and purchased several homes, outbuildings, and an old church. This is part of their cooperation with the Heritage Guild that has helped bring attention to historical buildings within this rapidly growing city. Several acres of land were purchased in Allen’s old residential area to ensure that visitors can enjoy learning about the history and restoring processes. A “village” setting was created to relocate structures with restored materials, forming a park for admirers to visit these exciting sites.
When the St. Mary Baptist Church was renovated, it served as an essential landmark for Allen’s African American community. The Community Development Corporation provided funds to restore this historic building and ensure that future generations would visit its beauty.
The city of Allen made significant progress in 2003, moving the other selected structures to the village and preparing an elaborate master plan. Given the unique architecture of First Christian Church, they were able to situate their church as a central attraction within this new community development project known simply by everyone here locally called “The Villages.”
The church is connected to St Mary’s Drive through an “u” shaped driveway. A wide walkway leads directly in front of it, forming the framework for locating other village structures like houses and stores along this path westward from Center Street up towards Main Street where you will find more cultural attractions.
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