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*August 26, 2024*






Traditional Shrine

Guadalupe Cemetery, Caldwell County, Texas

Grave Concerns in Texas, August 2024

A publication of the Cemetery Preservation Program

"The Cemetery Preservation Program of the THC supports cemetery preservation efforts in each of the 254 counties across the state. Cemetery Preservation Program staff provides consultation, educational materials, and training to concerned citizens and public officials. In addition, the program offers the Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) designation and maintains a statewide inventory of cemeteries to record and protect historic burial grounds. Click here to learn more about our work. [ [link removed] ]"

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Close-up photograph of headstone for Elder Jefferson in the Hopewell Cemetery in Falls County, Texas

Headstone of Rev. Henry Jefferson, founder of Hopewell Freedom Colony.

HTC Highlight: Hopewell Cemetery

One of the highlights of our summer was the historic designation of the burial ground for the Hopewell freedom colony [ [link removed] ] in Falls County, Texas. Hopewell was established in the early 1870s by the Revered Henry Jefferson and William Moton, two self-emancipated African American men brought to Texas during the Civil War. Jefferson and Moton purchased 200 acres in eastern Falls County in 1875,settling with several other formerly enslaved families.

 

At its height, the farming community included a Baptist church, a school, a Masonic meeting hall, a store, and the Hopewell Cemetery. The oldest marked grave in the cemetery dates from 1882, though older unmarked graves almost certainly exist.

The parcel containing Hopewell Cemetery was purchased from Rev. Jefferson’s heirs by neighboring landowner Hattie Ford Bassett in 1915. However, the cemetery remained in use by the African American community for many decades.

Now, under the stewardship of Preservation Texas [ [link removed] ] as part of the Bassett Farms Conservancy, the documentation and  preservation of Hopewell Cemetery is taking place in partnership with freedom colony descendants and community members rediscovering the deep history of Reconstruction-era Black settlements in Texas.

Black and white historic photograph of African American tenant farmers on the Bassett farm near Kosse, Texas





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Historic Texas Cemetery Honor Role

We’re thrilled to announce that 28 cemeteries have received HTC designations since May 1! Congratulations to the following cemeteries:

Color graphic containing a list of historic Texas cemeteries and their respective countiesCertificate shaped graphic containing list of historic Texas cemeteries and their respective counties

Want to designate a historic cemetery you care about? Visit our website [ [link removed] ] to get more information, watch a how-to video, and download the application.

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A Reason to Celebrate!

Official Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation program reached a significant milestone this summer—we’ve officially designated 2,500 cemeteries! The program was created in 1996 as a way to help protect cemeteries. The very first cemetery designated through the program was Bolivar Cemetery [ [link removed] ], located in northwest Denton County.

The honor of being number 2,500 goes to Saul Cemetery, in rapidly-growing Williamson County. It’s one of many cemeteries the Williamson County Historical Commission’s Cemetery Restoration Volunteers [ [link removed]. ] have documented through the HTC program this year.

Every county in Texas has at least one HTC-designated cemetery. But some counties have many more! Navarro County leads the way with 76 HTCs. Harris, Austin, Travis, Collin, and Williamson counties are home to over 50 HTCs each. How many cemeteries in your county are designated as HTCs? Use the search function in our Texas Historic Sites Atlas [ [link removed] ] to find out. New to searching the Atlas? Get help in this handy guide [ [link removed] ].



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Famous Graves - Blind Lemon Jefferson

It’s been a bluesy summer folks, that’s why we’re visiting the grave of Blind Lemon Jefferson [ [link removed] ] (1893–1929), Texas-born pioneering blues guitarist and recording star of the 1920s.

Jefferson’s fame as a street musician in East Texas and the Deep Ellum [ [link removed] ] area of Dallas took him to Paramount’s recording studio in Chicago, where he cemented his legacy on over 100 wax recordings, bringing Texas blues to a national audience.

Jefferson died in Chicago on December 22, 1929, and was buried in the Wortham Negro Cemetery near his birthplace in Freestone County, Texas. His grave was unmarked until 1967 when a Texas Historical Marker [ [link removed] ] was dedicated to him.

 

Black and white photograph of Texas blues guitarist Blind Lemon Jefferson.

In 2007, the cemetery was rededicated as Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery [ [link removed] ] to honor Wortham’s African American community and the “Father of Texas Blues.” Jefferson’s headstone is inscribed with the words to one of his most famous songs: “See That My Grave is Kept Clean.”

Color photograph of headstone for Texas blues guitarist Blind Lemon Jefferson.
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Shout-Out to Lubbock CHC

Members of Lubbock CHC and Wolfford Cemetery Association gather around a historical marker at the cemetery's entrance

Congratulations to the Lubbock County Historical Commission [ [link removed] ]! Thanks to their diligent efforts over the past several years, all 11 of the county's known, eligible cemeteries  have received the official Historic Texas Cemetery designation. This is a significant achievement!

On Saturday, August 17, Lubbock CHC unveiled an Official Texas Historical Marker at the grave of Paul Whitfield Horn, the first President of Texas Technological College. Horn is buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery [ [link removed] ], the first cemetery in Lubbock County to be designated as an HTC in 2002.

In this photo, Lubbock CHC appointees celebrate the 2023 dedication of Wolfforth Cemetery's official historical marker with Mary Sowell, head of Wolfforth Cemetery Association.



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Historic Texas Cemeteries in the News

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Historical marker dedicated at the Old Bryan Cemetery [ [link removed] ]—KBTX (Old Bryan Cemetery, Brazos County)

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Historic Black cemetery in McKinney receives its long-awaited state marker [ [link removed] ]—WFAA (Ross Cemetery, Collin County)

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St. Louis cemetery in Iola receives Texas historical marker [ [link removed] ]—KCENTV (St. Louis Cemetery, Grimes County)

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An elder is restored to the Lipan Apache people more than 750 years after her death [ [link removed] ]—Texas Observer (Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes, Presidio County)

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‘It means everything.’ Lake Como Cemetery unveils Texas Historical Commission marker [ [link removed] ]—Fort Worth Report (Lake Como Cemetery, Tarrant County)

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*150-Year-Old House Set for Renovation in Nameless Community [ [link removed] ] - Austin Chronicle (Gray Family Cemetery, Travis County)*

 

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Real Places 2025: Call for Proposals

Are you passionate about preserving Texas history? The THC invites you to share your expertise at the 2025 Real Places Conference, happening April 23-25, 2025! This premier event will bring together preservation professionals, government officials, and engaged citizens to shape the future of historic conservation in Texas.

We welcome proposals for lightning rounds, traditional panels, hands-on workshops, roundtable discussions, and academic poster presentations. This is a fantastic opportunity to network with industry leaders and contribute to Texas' rich cultural heritage. Submit your proposal by *September 2.*

*Submit A Proposal* [ [link removed] ]


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