Preachers Hill

Known to its residents as Preachers Hill and named when Bethel Temple Church was founded in 1920, this African American neighborhood was established near Longview's original townsite in the 1880s. Ella Jacob Cotton Loyd (1870-1957) came to Texas with planters William Cunyus and the Prothro family and settled in Longview. Family legend states that Ella built the home at 219 Clark Street in 1889 and became the matriarch of the neighborhood of around thirty families. Open fields were used for farming and a nearby creek provided fresh water. A commercial and social center emerged along with strong religious associations. Many local pastors, male and female, lived in the area. (2015)

Preachers Hill is a historical marker in Longview, Gregg County, dedicated in 2015. It is one of 81 historical markers documented in Gregg County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 124 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.5038, -94.7377 near Longview. The nearest cataloged historic site is Gregg County (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include The Grove, Franklin L. Whaley House, and First Methodist Church of Longview.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507018259. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.