For more than a century, this land in Toombs County, Georgia has been sacred ground.
It is home to the historic Jordan Stream Missionary Baptist Church, a place where families worshiped, celebrated, mourned, learned, and gathered — generation after generation.

Beside the church lies a cemetery holding the resting place of parents, grandparents, and ancestors whose stories shaped this community.

This land was more than property.
It was identity.
It was memory.
It was home.

Like many African-American families across the South, this land became heirs property — passed down through generations without formal probate or clear title.

Without legal clarity, the land became vulnerable to rising taxes, administrative challenges, and ultimately tax sale loss — placing a sacred family legacy at risk of permanent separation.

What had been protected for generations suddenly stood on the edge of disappearance.

Rather than allowing the land to be lost, the family came together — determined to reclaim, restore, and protect what generations before them had entrusted.

Through persistence, stewardship, legal action, and prayerful resolve, the land was redeemed, secured, and restored to responsible ownership.

In January 2025, The Hicks Preserve Foundation was established — ensuring this sacred ground would never again stand unprotected.

What began as a mission to protect family land has grown into a broader calling.

The Hicks Preserve Foundation now exists not only to preserve its own historic property — but to help other families facing heirs property challenges, land loss, and abandoned African-American cemeteries.

We are building a model that helps families:

• Clear and stabilize heirs property
• Protect inherited land
• Restore and document historic cemeteries
• Prevent generational land loss
• Preserve faith-based and rural heritage sites

Our journey became our calling.