Historic Cemetery

Barbee-Hale Cemetery

Texas
Location: Driving Directions:From Loop 304 in Crockett, go 1.7 miles south on FM 2712. Turn left at the old Northcutt Woodworks Factory and go behind the buildings to a gate. Go through gate and turn immediately left. Follow the private ranch road approx. 0.8 mile toward southeast corner of property. Cemetery is located on hill overlooking a small manmade lake.This cemetery is highly endangered. It is a map feature, but it is located on private property in a very remote area. The cemetery is fully fenced and appears to be seasonally maintained. Cattle have damaged sections of the fence, but it has not fallen. There is a small sign on the fence that reads:Barbee Hale CemeteryThere is also contact information for Ms. Anne Hale Haden and Save Texas Cemeteries Inc.Cemetery features include locally cast concrete markers, formal marble markers, and a vaulted, concrete grave slab. Some grave markers are damaged or fallen and some appear to be missing. Much of the damage appears to be the result of grazing cattle before the cemetery was fenced.

To address the problem of cemetery destruction and to record as many cemeteries as possible, the Texas Historical Commission offers the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence. Every county in Texas has at least one cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery through this program. The HTC designation is the first step toward preservation of a historic cemetery.

A cemetery is eligible for designation if it is at least 50 years old and is deemed worthy of recognition for its historical associations. The very nature of a cemetery being a landmark of a family’s or community’s presence is considered to validate the criteria of historical associations. Any individual, organization, or agency may submit a request for designation.

gravesites