Special Feature
The Center Point Women’s Preservation Society, along with the Center Point Mayor and City Council, welcome the community to tour and experience the history of the stately Hillcrest Manor. After seven years of hard work by the Preservation Society and the City, the 1921 Manor, located next to the nearly eighteen-acre Reed-Harvey Park in Center Point, is opening its doors as a venue for special events. The home’s restoration was spearheaded by Betty Henderson, along with city employees. Henderson founded the Center Point Preservation Society with the purpose of raising money to restore the home. With encouragement from Henderson and 85 plus Preservation Society members, the City Council purchased the house for restoration in 2010. Now restored, the Society will oversee the management of the home. Henderson sat down with us to share about the home and its important place in the community.
Why was it so important to you and the Center Point Women’s Preservation Society to have this home preserved? The mission of the Women’s Preservation Society is to restore old buildings and put them to good use for the city. The City of Center Point has been good to us and we want to give back something to our city. This home will bring more historic value to Reed-Harvey Park which has a great deal of history as well.
What type of events is the home capable of hosting? The possibilities of this house are endless. We can have an outdoor wedding for 150 to 160 with a reception. We can also have indoor weddings in several places inside for 25 or 30 in different locations. Rehearsal dinners, holiday weddings, bridal showers, seminars and conferences, business corporate meetings, reunions and much more are possible.
How rewarding is it to you and the Society to have the home now accessible to the community? We are astounded that we, along with the City of Center Point, have created a marvelous place that gives us a joyous feeling that history is being made. We are so excited as to how much this Hillcrest Manor will mean to the future of our city… So many people in Center Point have always wanted to go in this house. How exciting for all of us. It is a dream come true for everyone involved.
Henderson and the Preservation Society’s next goal is to have the home listed on the National Historic Register. A grand opening of the home will be held October 6 at 10 a.m. and appointments to see and book the home start October 16, 205-637-1437. †
