The Kerr Community Center team will host a communitywide event Dec. 15 to celebrate its 110th anniversary.

The details

The party will run from 3-6 p.m., with a ceremony featuring guest speakers and a presentation about the center at 4 p.m. Though the event is free, organizers are collecting shelf-stable food that will be delivered to the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry, along with donations for the Bastrop County Animal Shelter.

“We are also going to give awards to people who have helped us throughout the years, our partners who have donated or done something to make sure that the center’s legacy continued for the past 110 years,” KCC Chair Dock Jackson said.

Snacks and sips will also be provided, he said.


“This is not just a milestone but a testament to our shared history and the legacy of the Kerr family,” Jackson said. “We invite you to participate in this significant occasion, celebrating our community’s rich heritage.”

The past

Built in 1914 by Beverly and Lula Kerr, the Kerr Community Center has served as a hub for the Black community, providing a space for social, civic, recreational and educational activities.

KCC was designated a National Historic Place in 1978, and a playground and park were added in 2007.


Jackson said the center has hosted social events and artistic performances by Black artists, including master blues pianist Roosevelt Williams, known to his fans as the Grey Ghost. The structure was also a United Service Organizations post for Black soldiers assigned to Camp Swift during World War II, he said.

The present

The center hosts a range of inclusive community events ranging from National Night Out to the Bastrop Music Festival, Empty Bowl painting parties for the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry and more.

In late August, KCC held a farewell ceremony for the 9-foot-tall traveling monument honoring Harriet Tubman's work to free countless people from slavery, with special guest speaker Opal Lee—a longtime civic leader and colloquially known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth.
Longtime civic leader Opal Lee sees the Harriet Tubman exhibit for the first time at a special event hosted by Kerr Community Center volunteers in August. (Amanda Cutshall/Community Impact)
Longtime civic leader Opal Lee sees the Harriet Tubman exhibit for the first time at a special event hosted by Kerr Community Center volunteers in August. (Amanda Cutshall/Community Impact)


On Dec. 14, the center will be the highlighted building in the Holiday Historic Homes Tour by the Bastrop Museum and Visitor Center.

KCC also offers private and corporate event rentals. For more information, email [email protected], or call 512-409-3364.

The future

The center is undergoing renovations to maintain the building and enhance visitors’ experiences.


Donations can be made by check to the Kerr Community Center and delivered in person or mailed to 1308 Walnut St., Bastrop.

“With the help of the community, we are trying to keep the center alive and vibrant,” Jackson said, noting that volunteers are always needed.

Volunteers can help with an assortment of tasks, including:
  • Renovations
  • Taking event reservations
  • Helping with community events
  • Guiding tours
“We need volunteers because there are just a few of us—none of us are paid,” Jackson said. “We’d love to be able to stay open more often so people can come in and tour the building.”

After renovations are completed, the Kerr Community Center team hopes to host more community programs, KCC Secretary Carol Kysar said.


“We want to provide things like a historical program every quarter, job fairs, educational discussions, book signings,” Kysar said. “Just things that can benefit the community at large.”