Historic Cemetery

Old Lynch Cemetery

Arbor Community, Texas
Location: Driving Directions:From SH 7, just east of Berea, go 3.4 miles south on FM 232. Turn right (west) at wagon wheel gate and go approx. 0.6 mile north. Cemetery is to the left on pasture hilltop, near hunting camp. The cemetery is highly endangered. It is not a map feature, and it is located in a remote area on private property. No cemetery signs are posted. The cemetery is fully fenced and appears to be seasonally maintained. Several of the grave markers are broken. Some show evidence of repairs. One cast iron marker is displaced and leaning against the perimeter fence, upside down. The grave markers are formal granite and marble.

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