A New Trail Begins: Black Cowboy Museum to Break Ground on Historic Home in Kendleton
After years of dreaming and decades of storytelling, a historic milestone is just around the corner. On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 9:30 AM, the Black Cowboy Museum will officially break ground on its brand-new, permanent home at Bates Allen Park in Fort Bend County. And the public is invited to be part of this legacy-defining celebration.
From humble beginnings in a borrowed space in Rosenberg, the museum—founded in 2017 by professional cowboy and historian Larry Callies—has grown into a cultural force, preserving the powerful, often overlooked stories of African American cowboys and cowgirls who shaped the American West.
Now, it’s riding into a bold new chapter with an 8,000-square-foot facility on more than three acres of land beside the African American Heritage Monument and historic cemeteries in Kendleton, one of Texas’s first self-governed Black communities.
“We invite you to join us for the Groundbreaking Ceremony of our brand-new Black Cowboy Museum,” shared Acynthia Villery, Vice President of the museum’s board. “Your presence will make this moment even more meaningful as we take the first step toward a national destination that showcases our rich history and cultural heritage.”
Villery is no stranger to breaking barriers herself. A third-generation rodeo professional, she is recognized as the first African American female rodeo announcer and serves as Social Media Director for the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. Previously a featured announcer for the BPIR circuit, she was also one of the first women inducted into the Black Cowboy Museum Hall of Fame.
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From Vision to Reality
The new museum will tell stories that don’t always make the history books—of riders like Bass Reeves, Bill Pickett, and Nat Love, as well as modern-day rodeo pioneers. Designed by VCS Architects, the future museum will include:
- A barndominium-style main building
- A commercial-grade kitchen and event space
- Livestock pens and agricultural features
- An outdoor amphitheater
- Walking trails that connect to the monument and historic cemeteries on site
The project is part of the larger African American Experience at Bates Allen Park, which also includes the African American Heritage Monument, Kendleton Farms, and restored sacred burial grounds for formerly enslaved residents and notable Black Texans like Benjamin Franklin Williams, the first Black legislator in Texas.
A Community Effort in Progress
While Fort Bend County has provided critical support—including the land, infrastructure planning, and architectural development—the museum’s expansion has also relied on broader community investment.
As of spring 2025, documentation reflected a total project estimate of $18.1 million, with approximately $12.2 million in secured funding and a projected $5.8 million gap to complete the full vision, which includes the museum, the African American Heritage Monument, and supporting site infrastructure. Since that time, the project has advanced toward groundbreaking, signaling strong progress and additional support.
Inside the Black Cowboy Museum in Rosenberg, Texas, where artifacts like saddles, barbed wire, “We are looking for support to help us secure funding to prepare for the move, transition, bigger location and operation,” museum officials noted earlier this year.
The team has pursued additional resources, including national grants such as the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s Conserving Black Modernism program, and continues to invite support from partners committed to preserving this cultural legacy.
Why Kendleton?
More than just a location, Kendleton is part of the story. Settled by freed families after emancipation, it’s a living symbol of self-determination and resilience. Choosing this site for the museum brings the story full circle—rooting it in the same soil where generations of Black cowboys, farmers, and lawmakers lived and thrived.
This cultural district, anchored by both the new museum and the African American Heritage Monument, is poised to become a statewide and national destination for heritage tourism, education, and healing.
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Join the Celebration
- Black Cowboy Museum Groundbreaking Ceremony
- Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 9:30 AM
- Bates Allen Park – 630 Charlie Roberts Ln, Kendleton, TX (MAP)
- Free and open to the public
“Come witness history in the making!” Villery wrote in her official announcement.
From the first brick to the final exhibit, this museum stands as a tribute not just to Black history—but to Black excellence. It’s about reclaiming stories, restoring pride, and building a place where every child can see themselves in the saddle.
For questions or to get involved, contact blackcowboymuseum@gmail.com or visit blackcowboymuseum.com.
Stay with My Neighborhood News for updates as this groundbreaking moment unfolds and a new landmark rises in Fort Bend County.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
