Location: Driving Directions:From FM 1280 and SH 21 intersection in Austonio, go 0.8 mile south on SH 21. Turn right onto CR 3200 and go 1.8 miles west. Turn right onto private road just east of small frame house, go through gate, and go approx. 476 ft. north. At this point, turn left and go 420 ft. west along ridge line. Cemetery is located on ridge between a large pond and drainage.The cemetery is highly endangered. It is active and seasonally maintained, but it is located on private property and is not directly accessible from a public road. It is not a map feature, and there are no cemetery signs posted. The cemetery is fully fenced, but sections of the fence have fallen, allowing livestock to enter. Many of the grave markers are missing, displaced, or damaged due to maintenance activities and grazing livestock. There are two fenced burial plots. One plot is enclosed by a ornamental woven wire fence, which is in dilapidated. The other plot is enclosed by a chain link fence. Neither plot appears to be maintained. There are also numerous unmarked grave depressions. Cemetery features include formal, locally cast, homemade concrete, and metal funeral markers. One grave has concrete curbing, and another has a sheet metal grave slab.
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.