Location: Stoneham Cemetery, Stoneham, Texas1850s—Recorded GRIM02, GRIM11, GRIM12—Parsons. H&P, Grimes Co Hist.: Local hist. map, p. 126, “ in 1840 Bishop Alexander en route to East Texas spent night at Greenwood home … family gave tract of land for what was then called High Point for a cemetery and church. After railroad came thru the ch. bldg. moved nearer the town, then in 1880s moved into town. … Church Mothers built church community … but dwindled during Depression, closed 1929. Re-opened in 1973 by John Mulholand, grew, active in community 1980s.” p. 109, “Methodist (white) church-school bldg. …. 1900s, many Polish immigrants. … 1980s hay and cattle farming, timber, subdivisions.”p. 725, “Stoneham Cem. located 1.5 miles from Stoneham on SH 105. There had been a small settlement from Stoneham since 1830s, High Point, a name given to area by Maj. J. G. W. Pierson, a prominent colonist. First persons buried in then High Point Cem. were daughters of F. J. Greenwood … cholera victims … Greenwood had donated land only a few years earlier for burials. … Cem. Committee maintains, provides leadership and improvements. Ten family named plots, approx. total of 250 marked graves, plus some CSA graves unmarked or unknown. Some marked with iron rods … reportedly so marked to warn against removal of those who died of yellow fever. Earliest known burial 1830s. Index.” SEE Cemeteries of Grimes County, vols 1-5 John Maxwell, GCHC.THC Atlas: “Franklin Jarvis Greenwood (1804-1882), who came to Texas in 1829, donated land for this cemetery. It was originally called "High Point" for a nearby settlement. The first known interments were Greenwood's daughters Mary Anne (b. 1840) and Harriet. They died in 1856 of cholera. Graves of yellow fever victims were specially marked to avoid spread of the epidemic. Many burials are descendants of Stephen F. Austin colonists. The name of the cemetery and town changed to "Stoneham" after John H. Stoneham (1829-1894) gave land for the railroad in 1879. --Texas AtlasDirections: from Stoneham take SH 105 W approx. 1 mile to Stoneham Cemetery Rd.; then N on cemetery road approx. .1 mile to cemetery entrance.” GNIS on Stoneham map. TxGenWeb/Tombstone/Rootsweb: TxDoT map, photos. THC site visit MB 4/20/04: Near Stoneham, Tx. (white) Formal site, 3.7 miles W of intersection of SH 105 and FM 774. On N side of SH 105, access via small lane up hill. Marker trees, Cedar, Pecan,.Magnolia. Marker shrubs, Crape Myrtle, Gardenia. US veterans, CSA, Masonic, Sp Am War.Approx 1.9 acres. GPS 30.21.26.31022N –95.55.21.54153W. Quad 3095-232Low endangerment: maintained, fenced, near residences, church, recent burials.
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.