Historic Cemetery

Magnolia Grove Cemetery Galveston

Galveston, Texas 77551
Location: Magnolia Grove Cemetery—Rootsweb: Magnolia Grove Cemetery—Galveston. THC Atlas: “The Magnolia Grove Association, formed in 1870, made plans to establish a cemetery atop this ridge to serve the entire community of Galveston. The land chosen was divided into 25 sections. Association members purchased individual plots and on June 20, 1870, the cemetery was formally established. A storm that struck Galveston Island in 1875 severely damaged the cemetery grounds. The graveyard fell into disrepair soon after the storm. All cemetery property except previously purchased burial plots was repossessed in 1878. Shortly thereafter the association went bankrupt and the graves of members of as many as 22 families were removed to other graveyards. Nevertheless, burials continued in some sections of the cemetery for several years. By 1900 and after several land transactions, much of the original cemetery became the property of B. E. Mann and T. A. Cobb. Although the cemetery was again damaged in the storm of 1900, photographs reveal many gravestones here in 1922. In 1941 the city of Galveston exhumed the remaining marked gravesites as it began development of an airport. A section of the original cemetery was set aside as a permanent "green space" by the Galveston City Council in 1986. --Texas AtlasDirections: 2115 Terminal Dr., Galveston”NOTE: endangered, unmarked burials may not have been moved.

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.