Welcome to the
Welcome to the
Kerr Community Center
1308 Walnut St.
Bastrop, TX 78602
512-409-3364
Kerr Community Center
1308 Walnut St.
Bastrop, TX 78602
512-409-3364
Greetings from the Kerr Community Center Board of Directors
Kerr Community Center Board of Directors
Dock Jackson
Chairperson
Debra Thorne Francis
Vice Chairperson
Carol Kysar
Secretary
Dianne Mills
Treasurer
Pamela Aldridge
Macedonia Baptist Church Member
Lucy Blakeley
Paul Quinn African Methodist
Episcopal Church Member
Brandon Lenzy
Board Member
Ex-Officio Members
Elroy Williams
Chairperson Emeritus
Tom Scott
Ex-Officio Member
Nelia Kerr Greene
Heritage Member of the Month
Welcome to our website highlighting our very special Kerr Community Center! The Kerr Community Center and adjoining Kerr Community Park are located in Bastrop, Texas. They are open to the whole community. The purpose of the Kerr Community Center is to provide a facility that fosters wholesome recreation and social, community and family activities in addition to cultural and historical events directed by the Kerr Community Center Board of Directors. The Kerr Community Center is designed as an affordable place to have events. The Kerr Community Park was established through a grant partnership with the City of Bastrop.
Dock Jackson, Chairperson
Kerr Community
Center Board
Open for Civic and Social Events
Meetings Parties city events Other
Special Events and Exhibitions
Coming to the Kerr Community Center of Bastrop, Texas from June through August 2024 is "Harriet Tubman—The Journey to Freedom" by Wesley Wofford. Proudly cast by Pyrology Foundry & Studio.
The exhibition is hosted by the Kerr Community Center and Park.
Harriet Tubman - The Journey to Freedom
The Woman and the Sculpture by Artist - Wesley Wofford, FNSS
(Slide show is below. Click on the middle of the box to begin.)
The Journey to Freedom - Dedication Program
Farewell to
Harriet Tubman
and Welcome to
Miss Opal Lee!
Kerr Community Center’s 110th Anniversary Celebration is postponed.
History of Kerr Hall/Kerr Community Center
Robert A. Kerr moved to Bastrop sometime prior to 1880. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1881. He also served on the Bastrop school board helping to establish Emile School as one of the earliest high schools for Black students in Texas. Robert’s brother, Beverly, was a versatile musician and bandleader of The Kerr Orchestra. He and his wife, Lula, also an excellent musician and the first primary grade teacher at Emile School when it opened in 1893, saw the need for a social center for the African-American community. In 1914, they built what was then called Kerr Hall. This two-story frame structure became the heart and soul of Bastrop’s Black community, serving as its social, civic, recreational and educational focal point. Over the years, many entertainers performed at the center which was part of the “Chitlin Circuit” including Roosevelt Williams (The Grey Ghost), a master at the piano. During World War II, the army renovated the center as a United Service Organization (USO) to serve Black soldiers at Camp Swift.
The structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978. The building received major renovations that were completed in 2007, including a small park and playground. The building and park continue to serve as a legacy to the Kerr family and Bastrop’s African-American community and bring the entire community together.
‘The Journey to Freedom: Harriet Tubman” traveling sculpture exhibit will be at the site from June 15-August 31, 2024.
The Kerr Community Center will also celebrate its 110th Anniversary this year on August 24, 2024. More details will be available soon.
Beverly Kerr
Lula Kerr
For More Information
Contact Us
Kerr Community Center
1308 Walnut Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
512-409-3364
/Kerr Community Center
of Bastrop, Texas
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