The Historic Texas Cemetery Designation
sponsored by
The Texas Historical Commission
Cemeteries hold valuable historic information and are often the last reminders of early settlements' historical events, religious beliefs, lifestyles and genealogy. The Texas Historic Commission sponsors the Historic Texas Cemetery designation program to help record and save Texas' historic cemeteries as land around them is developed for other uses and from other threats like vandalism, grazing animals and long-term deterioration from weather and uncontrolled vegetation.
A Historic Texas Cemetery designation indicates that a cemetery has been legally recorded through the Texas Historical Commission's Historic Texas Cemetery Program, and helps assure that your cemetery will not be destroyed if adjacent land use changes due to the addition of a housing development, highway, or other things that are not currently foreseen.
The Texas Historical Commission developed the Historic Texas Cemetery designation to address the destruction of historic cemeteries and the illegal removal of cemetery fixtures. "This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of these important cultural resources," said Larry Oaks, executive director of the THC. "Knowledge and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of a historic cemetery." While the Historic Texas Cemetery designation encourages cemetery preservation, it cannot guarantee that a historic cemetery will avoid destruction.
A Historic Texas Cemetery designation and a Texas Historical Marker are separate programs. The Historic Texas Cemetery designation is not the same as a Historical Marker, but is the first step in applying for a marker if your cemetery wants to do so. Obtaining a Historic Texas Cemetery designation does not require that you obtain a Texas Historical Marker, however a cemetery must be registered as a Historic Texas Cemetery before a Historical Marker application can be filed.
Any individual or organization is eligible to submit an application for this designation.
While Texas Historical Marker applications can only be filed at certain times during the fall of the year, a Historic Texas Cemetery application can be made at any time.
To apply for Historic Texas Cemetery designation, a cemetery must contain at least one burial that is at least 50 years old.
Application for the Historic Texas Cemetery designation is somewhat detailed and requires that the applicant research and document the cemetery's history in writing, document the cemetery with black and white photographs, and do a number of other things. A few things you will need before applying for a Historic Texas Cemetery designation are:
- Black and white photos of your cemetery from all angles showing a complete overview of the cemetery. Color photos will not be accepted.
- Black and white photos of all unusual markers, and of any unusual vegetation or other historically identifying features.
- A survey map of your cemetery, complete with the names and contact information for each surrounding landowner.
- Deed recording dates, volume, and page numbers for each deed pertaining to your cemetery that is filed in the Court House.
- A written history of your cemetery describing its origin and significance to the surrounding area, notable people buried in the cemetery, etc.
- The oldest and latest recorded burials in the cemetery (we can quickly provide this information).
- A list of conflicts involving veterans that may be buried in the cemetery (as Spanish-American War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, etc)
- Ethenic heritages of people buried in your cemetery.
