JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KLTV) – A unique exhibit at the Pine Grove Community Center highlights three historic communities that contributed to what is now Jacksonville.
The exhibit includes the Churchill community, the Mount Haven community, and Pine Grove.
A key part of the story involves Rosenwald Schools. Together, they worked to improve Black education across the South, helping establish schools where Black teachers, principals, and administrators could lead and educate their own communities.
Daryl Witherspoon descends from Monte Verde Plantation in Cushing. His ancestors helped found early Black towns across East Texas, including Jacksonville, Cuney, Alto, and Lufkin.
“We come from the first farmers, the first teachers, the first pastors, the first builders and architect,” Witherspoon said. “Once I tapped into that, actually knowing where I was from, it gave me the ability to know I was able to do any of those things that they’d done. And I wanted to, get back involved with the communities and try to bring that field back to life.”
The exhibit will be open to the public on Saturdays during Black History Month. They are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More collections throughout the month will be displayed.
Copyright 2026 KLTV. All rights reserved.