Historic Cemetery

Chancellor Union Cemetery

a.k.a. Union-Chancellor Cemetery, Bowers Cemetery

Fairfield, Texas 75840
Location: Northeast of Fairfield at new Fairfield Lake. From Fairfield take 488 to the fork in the road and FM-488 continues left, however, the park road veers to the right and is marked FM 64 Park Road. Continue on PR 64 until reaching the ranger station. You will find a gravel road leading to the left; take this road and go .5 miles. While traveling on this road and looking left, the cemetery is in a small opening of trees.
Graves: 90 (1857 to present)
Size: parcel 1 2.781 acres, parcel 2 1.278 acres

Source: Freestone County Sheriff’s office by J. R. Sessions, Jr., Sheriff; Freestone County Historical Commission; Morrow, Betty Moss, THC Library; THC records

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