Deep Roots, Buried Histories: Mt. Pisgah Celebrates 130 Years

Historic Garcitas Church Marks 130th Anniversary Oct. 11

Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate its 130th anniversary on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the church, 577 Church Rd, Inez, TX 77968, in the Garcitas Community between Jackson and Victoria counties.

The present sanctuary was built in 1896 and dedicated in 1898, though the congregation traces its roots to prayer meetings held in area homes shortly after Reconstruction. Mt. Pisgah has long been tied to the Hudler School for Coloreds and to founding families including the Downing, Brown, Hosey, Turnipseed, North, Ramey, Watson, and Caviel families, who helped organize the church and later raised funds for the Austin stone exterior still visible today.

The anniversary follows a July 19 homecoming service that drew descendants back to Mt. Pisgah, and organizers are asking family members to return with the same turnout and support.

Garcitas is recognized as a Texas Freedom Colony, a community established by formerly enslaved people and their descendants after emancipation. Robin North, an Assistant Professor of Photography at the University of Colorado Boulder and a Garcitas descendant, will present research from his ongoing project on the community's history. The anniversary also coincides with the release of North's photo essay on Garcitas in the Fall 2026 issue of Life, Still magazine.