History of the Gregory School
Built in 1926, the two-story, former elementary school named after Edgar M. Gregory, a Union officer and Assistant Commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau for the Texas area, is in historic Freedmen’s Town, in Houston’s Fourth Ward. This area is the city’s oldest established African American community. By 1876, the former Gregory Institute became a part of Houston’s public school system, and the Gregory School became the first public education institution for African American children.
The State Historical Commission designated the Gregory School building as a State Archaeological Landmark in 1995; the highest historical landmark classification that can be placed on a building. In 2008, ground-breaking work began to restore and transform the former school into The African American Library at the Gregory School. The renovated library opened on November 14, 2009. The library’s name was changed to the African American History Research Center in 2022.
FROM OUR COLLECTION
Browse Digital Archives
Find select digital holdings of curated and highly requested photographs, papers, and oral histories representing the Black experience in Houston and Texas. Download collections and save image files for your personal or research use.
Get Started: Research Guide
Find available items and curated materials by our staff at the African American History Research Center. Access finding aids, guides, print collections, databases, recommended resources, and more!
A collection of stories and responses to race and social justice topics on inequity, police violence, and racial discrimination and activist movements in Houston and the United States.
A rotating gallery presents new, exciting exhibitions featuring national themes of African American history, art, and culture perspectives.
Join us for original programs related to the archives and important African American issues occurring on the local, state, national and the international stage.
Restored Classroom
A classroom has been restored to its original 1926 appearance so that visitors can experience what the Gregory School was like at its inception.
Freedmen's Town Gallery
This exhibit chronicles a crucial period in Houston’s history when an African American community, later known as Freedmen’s Town, Fourth Ward, was established following emancipation.
African Americans in Houston Gallery 1
This exhibit centers on the themes of Faith, Cooperative Economics, Collective Work and Responsibility, and Unity accenting how each played a significant role in the development of the city.
African Americans in Houston Gallery 2
This exhibit highlights how Black Houstonians used Purpose, Self-Determination, and Creativity asserted themselves through artistic and social outlets.
Archival Services
Our archivists help preserve your personal materials and capture your oral history to make your records accessible in the Houston Public Library’s Digital Archive. Help build Houston’s historical record by donating keepsakes such as: Letters, postcards, wills, deeds Photos (families, events, architecture, neighborhoods) Family histories (family trees, personal documents) Audiovisual (VHS, cassette tapes, reels) Funeral programs & obituaries Research notes & memoirs Business & organization records Yearbooks & scrapbooks Get started by submitting the form!
Rooms are available Tuesday through Saturday from opening to 30 minutes prior to closing.
A nonprofit support group that assists and promotes the African American History Research Center.
Subscribe today! Read about the collections and latest happenings at the African American History Research Center.
Other History Research Centers Family History Research Center
Houston History Research Center