Historic Cemetery

Walker #1 Cemetery

816 Montrose Blvd, Houston, Texas 77019
Location: Driving Directions:From SH 7 in Ratcliff, go 3.1 miles north-east on CR 1155. At Mt. Vernon Church, turn left onto Forest Service Rd. #560 and go 2.0 miles to Forest Service Rd. #511. Turn left onto Forest Service Rd. #511 and go 0.2 mile northwest. At this point, there will be a field with an old log barn and collapsed house on the west side of road. Go through a gate on west side of road and walk approx. 650 ft. northwest to wooded hill overlooking the Sikes Creek Bottom. Cemetery is partly fenced and very overgrown.This cemetery is highly endangered. It is not map feature and is located on private property. There are no cemetery signs posted. The cemetery is partly fenced, and it is not maintained. Very little evidence of this cemetery remains. The majority of the cemetery features are missing. During this survey, only one broken marble headstone and associated footstone were observed. At least three possible fieldstone markers were also observed. Two of the fieldstones are located outside the fenced enclosure, and one is within. It is very likely that the cemetery extends beyond the fenced enclosure. Heavy vegetation and recently fallen trees made hide some markers.

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