Mt. Horeb Baptist Church - Blanco, TX - Baptist Churches on Waymarking.com

Per a Texas historical marker near the church building's entrance:

"Born a slave in Virginia, Peyton Roberts became a freedman in Caldwell County, Texas, at the close of the Civil War. He soon moved west to this area and the settlement that developed around his farm became known as Peyton Colony. In 1874, under the direction of the Rev. Jack Burch, residents of the community established the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church. Early worship services were held in a log building also used as a school. Since the reconstruction era, Mt. Horeb has served as a focal point for the community and for a widespread rural area."

A webpage maintained by a sister Baptist church located 8 miles NE of here (at a larger community known as Henly, TX) provides a bit more historical context:

"Peyton Colony was established as a freedmen’s community in 1865 by Peyton Roberts (c.1820-1888), an ex-slave who migrated to Caldwell County, Texas. Roberts was born enslaved on the William Roberts Plantation in Virginia. Roberts and several families on the Roberts Plantation gained their freedom at the end of the Civil War.

In late 1865, Peyton Roberts led these families to the Texas hill country eight miles southeast [sic] of the present-day town of Blanco. They homesteaded public land and built cabins on their new properties. Their small community, along Boardhouse Creek, became known as the Peyton Colony. Freed slaves came from throughout the South to form a unique community in Central Texas.

In the early-1870s, the first church was built there as well as a log cabin school. The old schoolhouse was the first black school in Blanco County.

In 1874, Rev. Jack Burch, a freedman from Tennessee, arrived in the Colony and pitched a tent for the first meeting of the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church. Jim Upshear, one of the colonists, donated land for a permanent site and the settlers built a log church, which also served as a community school. Part of the Colony site, now a state park, includes a cemetery with 176 graves, including Peyton Roberts and many of the original settlers.

The community of Peyton Colony no longer exists, but the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church stands a few hundred feet from the old schoolhouse and is still active."

And finally, with respect to Peyton Colony itself (once known as Freedman’s Colony), another historical marker just a few 100 feet from the church provides some additional salient details:

"In 1865, a group of freed persons, led by Peyton Roberts, established a community they named Peyton Colony. Roberts was born into slavery in Virginia. In the 1820s, he came to Texas with his owner, Jeremiah Roberts, settling in the Bastrop and Caldwell counties area. Peyton and his family eventually became the slaves of Jeremiah Roberts’ grandson, William, who freed his slaves during the Civil War. The freed families agreed to work for William during the war, receiving payment in the form of supplies they would need to begin new lives.

In 1865, the former slaves moved to this area, establishing Peyton Colony, which was known as Freedman’s Colony to white settlers. The residents mostly farmed; they also built a lime kiln to make mortar for buildings in the county. The community received a Post Office named Payton in 1898. It was discontinued in 1909, but reestablished in 1918 with the name Board House, named for Alfred V. Walker’s lumber home, which housed the Post Office.

Life in the community largely revolved around Mt. Horeb Baptist Church, which organized in 1874 under the Rev. Jack Burch. Members built a log cabin which served as a church and community school on land donated by Jim Upshaw (Upshear). Residents used a cemetery on land deeded by Peyton Roberts; many of the settlement’s early pioneers were buried there. Although the community declined throughout the 20th century, many descendants continued to live here and remnants remained. Today, Peyton Colony is remembered as the realization of the dreams of ex-slaves to establish a community as freed persons."

Date Built: 01/01/1917 Age of Church building determined by?: Cornerstone or plaque Service Times: (the service times were not posted anywhere on site, but a picture indicates it's likely at 11:30am every 3rd Sunday of the month) Website: [Web Link] Church Address: 593 Peyton Colony Rd Blanco, TX USA 78606

Visit Instructions:
When visiting a waymark, please take a picture that clearly shows the church. If you have a picture with yourself and/or your GPSr at the church, that would be great too. Please tell us a little about your experience.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/10/2020 Raven visited it