Our goal is to provide funding and assistance in preserving one of Roswell and Georgia’s African American historic resources. The physical site is historical and originally housed Zion Missionary Baptist Church which was organized in 1871 by a small group of dedicated Christians. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1885 and again in early the 1960’s. Over the years a number of renovation projects have been under taken. Since its inception the site and building have been a critical part of the Groveway Community. From 2001- 2003 the building was used sparingly and has set idle and in a state of disrepair since 2005. In 2011 the site was designated as a historical place by the Roswell Historical Society.
Our restoration projects endeavors to preserve, conserve and protect the building, objects landscapes and other artifacts of historical significance. Working with volunteer resources the Roswell Organization for Community Development has identified African American architectural and engineering individual that have assisted in planning this work effort.
In 2019 Zion Missionary Baptist Church entered into a lease purchase agreement with Roswell Organization for Community Development Corporation Inc. The agreement enables us to solicit funds for the renovation, and additional construction of the building. We envision restoring this historical building which was built in 1964 into a state of the art facility.
Once building renovation is complete the facility will become the center piece in our efforts to focus on affordable living, and support for the underserved by preserving the historical integrity with in the community. The Historic preservation, heritage preservation and heritage conservation, is a vital building function will contain the following:
- A Healthy Living Center
- An Event Center
- A Cultural Center
- Disaster and Emergency Assistance Center
We will leverage technology and focus on education and training within all environments.