Fifth Districts High School was built in 1893 through the work of Mr. John Reason under the leadership of Dr. Henry C. Cotton of Bella Alliance, Louisiana, at a location once called Newtown in present-day Houma in Terrebonne Parish. It became a foundation for education and religion in the African American community. The land was officially donated in 1913 by Henry C. Minor, owner of Southdown Plantation, and J. L. Hawkins. Its Board of Directors included Henry C. Cotton as president, Charles D. Reese as vice president, Daniel F. Ross as secretary, and Samuel T. Smith as treasurer. It also served as a school for laymen, a Christian Bible college, and an African American museum established on February 24, 2016, by Margie Scoby as president and Alvin Tillman as vice president. It became a historic landmark on June 18, 2018, through research by Margie Scoby.