Freedmen's Town community celebrates after return of historic bricks

HOUSTON – Friday was a special day in Freedmen's Town. A celebration took place in the historic community.

One reason for the festivities is the return of more than 7,000 historic bricks that were removed a year ago for drainage repairs.

In the shadow of downtown's skyscrapers, the treasured bricks were created and laid by the descendants of slaves. They are more than regular bricks, they were made in the back yard of Rev. Pullman's home in the Fourth Ward and laid by the hands of the people of Freedman's Town in the 1800s.

VIDEO: Freemen's Town community celebrates after historic bricks returned

With the growth of the city over the years, the bricks have been slowly disappearing. To keep the spirit of Freedman's Town alive, the people of the community have vowed to preserve its history.

"Some people say they're just bricks. No, they're not average pavers downtown, in fact federal law says any entity that removes the bricks unlawfully, that's a $100 fine per brick," Gladys House-El said.

House said there many more priorities they would like the city to address. One is total preservation of Rev. Pullman's home. The community wants his home to be restored.

The celebration took place on Andrews Street at 10:30 a.m. There was a ribbon cutting and prayer service.

While residents of Freedmen's Town said they are happy the pavers are back, they said they are focused on making plans for the community to keep moving forward.