Historic Cemetery

Finley Cemetery

Douglass, Texas
Location: SH 21 west from Nacogdoches 12.7 miles to FM 225S in Douglass. South on FM 225 .8 miles to CR 797. West 1.7 miles to cemetery on north side past second set of chicken housesThis site faces the road but is overgrown. There are 17 known burials at the site but only 5 visible markers in the NW section because the site is so overgrown. Surnames include Finley, Kelley, Selman, and Watkins. (Nacogdoches Cemetery Records V.III)One CSA veteran at the site:John B. Finleyb. ca. 1839 Georgia, d. ca 1867; C.S.A. Co. B, 8th Texas Infantry.

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.