Historic Cemetery

Strickland-Hart Cemetery

Texas
Location: SH 59/CR 164 in the Fitze Area; CR 164 N, following road as it curves and passing Briley Town Church .2 miles to split in road. Stay right and follow road NW .7 miles to cemetery on north side. Difficult to see because site is overgrown. The site was surveyed and 7 graves were recorded in Nacogdoches Cemetery Records V. 5, but only 5 graves are visible, and all but 3 are broken. This site was last used in 1995 and it is unclear if it is active. The site is surrounded by wooded land and high grass. USGS maps show this site as two separate sites (Hart grave & Strickland Cemetery), but the cleared area for the site includes all sections in one.Visible graves at site:Hersell David Pitts (vet)Mar. 8, 1933-July 11, 1995Virginia P. HartSept. 22, 1940Nov. 21, 1972Sarah BishopDec. 1875Dec. 1875Thomas N StricklandJuly 29, 1861Sept. 17, 1875W. A. BishopDec. 15, 1816Sep. 5, 1857.

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.