Historical Marker
Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church & Cemetery
Historical marker location:
Henderson, Texas
( 13 mi. E of Henderson via FM 840 to S bound CB 368.)
Marker installed: 1978
In 1867 Augustus Ferguson deeded 8.5 acres of land for a church and school. This congregation was formed in 1868, with the Rev. John Sparkman (1821-82) as the first Pastor. According to tradition, there were 15 charter members. Services were originally held in a log cabin. A frame church, built in 1880-81, was destroyed by fire in 1943 and replaced by the present structure. Unmarked graves in the nearby cemetery predate the church's founding. Burials there include church members, war veterans, and former slaves.