Historic Cemetery

Johnston Cemetery

Grapeland, Texas 75844
Location: Driving Directions:From US 287, just north of Grapeland, go 0.4 mile east on CR 1885 to sharp bend. At bend, continue straight, through gate, and follow dim, private road for approx. 0.6 mile, staying to right. Cemetery is located at southern edge of property, just south of small manmade lake. The cemetery is moderately endangered. It is not a map feature, and it is located in a remote area on private property. The current owners have erected a wooden fence around the cemetery and have poured concrete slabs over the three marked graves. The cemetery is seasonally maintained. The owner reported that at one time there were a additional graves marked with metal funeral markers. The markers are now gone.

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.

gravesites