Historic Cemetery

Matthews Family Cemetery

a.k.a. Matthews

Grapeland, Texas
Location: Driving Directions:Far northwestern Houston County. From FM 227/FM 1272 junction in Grapeland, go 7.5 miles west on FM 1272. At the very end of FM 1272, where the pavement ends and it becomes CR 2265, go 0.8 mile north on CR 2290. Turn right onto private, gated road and go approximately 300 ft. east. Turn left onto faint road and go approx. 300 ft. north-east. The faint road leads directly to the cemetery, which is fenced and maintained. The cemetery is not a map feature, and there is no signage. However, the cemetery is fully fenced, well maintained, and active. The cemetery is deeded, and access is through private property. Cemetery features include: masonry cairns, curbing, and fieldstone markers.

Source: RIP Fields Table

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