Historic Cemetery

Vernoy Cemetery

a.k.a. Verndy

Grand Prairie, Texas
Location: Driving Directions: From IH 20E, go 0.6 mile north on S. Carrier Pkwy. At Corn Valley Rd., turn right and go 0.7 mile north-northeast. Turn right at Racquet Club Dr. and go 0.3 mile east-southeast. Turn right at Ridgewood Dr. and go 0.4 mile south. The cemetery is located in wooded area directly behind a house at 3729 Ridgewood.This cemetery is hidden behind houses in a residential subdivision. The cemetery is threatened by vandalism, neglect, erosion, and development. It is not a map feature and is partly fenced. Many of the headstones have fallen or are damaged. There are also numerous unmarked graves and grave depressions. A small drainage flows along the western boundary and appears to be actively eroding the western portion of the cemetery. The cemetery is overgrown, and vegetation obscures many of the graves. At least one grave plot had an ornamental woven wire fence, which is now gone.

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.