Historic Cemetery

Rounsavall Cemetery

a.k.a. Ranseval Cemetery

Athens, Texas 75752
Location: South of Murchison near Black Jack. From Athens, take hwy 31 east to FM 317. Turn right, and follow FM 317 until CR 4826. Turn left onto CR 4826 to cemetery on right side of road.
Graves: 47 (1866 to present)
Size: 179 ft x 166 ft x 164 ft x 174 ft

Source: Cemetery Records of Henderson County, Texas; Parsons, Kim, Ref. to Texas Cemeteries, 1988; theyspeak.com; rootsweb; USGS; TxDot map 1990

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.