Jones Chapel Cemetery is a relatively small (approximately 1 acre) rural cemetery located in Southeast Titus County. Not much history of the cemetery is recorded. An early Titus County settler stated that the cemetery was established before their arrival in 1882. The location once supported a school, church and cemetery in close proximity in its early years.
The cemetery has been known by other names. There is a claim that it was named after the Murphree family who were early settlers and have several family members buried there. It was mislabeled as Concord Cemetery, probably because the school that was originally located near the site was relocated to the Pittsburg Road (currently U.S. Highway 271) and named Concord school. A non-denominational church also held services there, and the South Concord Home Demonstration Club undertook restoration of the cemetery. Jones Chapel, its proper name, originates from its location in the Isaac Jones Headright.
The Jones Chapel Cemetery Association was formed in 1970. The cemetery is in good condition and contains many graves A welded pipe fence encloses the cemetery. Vandals previously shot, broke, and tipped over the monuments in the cemetery. The Titus County sheriff's department provided a prisoner work force that did an outstanding job to right the monuments and repair those that could be repaired. Many monuments have been replaced, particularly those of Benjamin, James and Martha Murphree. Remnants of old stones marking those graves lie in proximity to the new ones.
Although little is known about those interred without monuments, a "History of Jones Chapel" article in the Sunday, April 18, 1971 Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune listed many names that were known. Sixty-four concrete slabs are present that (at least in the past) marked sites of known burials without monuments. Some of those slabs have no doubt been moved, and others may lie under encroaching dirt, grass and leaves. The cemetery also contains some round concrete markers inscribed with identifying letter/number combinations (P43, P45, P59, QR50, J51, U46, TY45, U43, U42, Y39, LM44, LM43 were noted). There are two monument bases with the monuments removed in the cemetery.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM THE TITUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE:
Travel 0.3 miles South on Madison Street to Ferguson Road. Turn left (east) on Ferguson Road (which becomes Texas Highway 49) and travel 0.1 mile to the intersection with South Jefferson Street (U.S. Highway 271). Turn right (south) onto South Jefferson Street and proceed 2.8 miles until County Road 4530 intersects. County Road 4530 is the first county road on the left past Highland Park Baptist Church and Bates-Cooper-Sloan Funeral Home. Turn left onto County Road 4530 and the cemetery lies 0.5 mile on the right at the intersection of County Road 4550.
