Historic Cemetery

Smythe Cemetery

Mexia, Texas
Location: From Mexia go south on FM 39 and turn right on LCR 458. Go about 1.7 miles and you will cross over a creek. Stop at the gate on the left. Cemetery is straight ahead in the pasture about 1/10 mile and is at the edge of the woods and is overgrown with brush.

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