Historic Cemetery

St. John's Church Cemetery

San Augustine, Texas 75972
Location: St. John’s Cem. West of 1277, southwest of Spears CreekUSGSTHC site visit MB 10-20-04: Spears Creek area. N of SH 103, about 0.5 mile on FM 1277, turn to W on CR _____ about 2 miles to church and sharp bend in road. Site about 600 ft. W of church site. Access to cemetery at cattle gate on sandy lane CR, though in wooded area across road from back of church. No trespassing sign but gate is not locked. From gate walk grassy road about 300 ft. to site. Site adjacent to woodlands and pasture. Fenced formal site, recently expanded to S. Older area of cemetery has several very large Cedar and Juniper marker trees, some Live Oak. Rolling landscape, burials in areas. Formal markers, diversity over time with a few obelisks, carnes, cubing, slabs, and some locally caste. A few homemade markers and some fieldstones. Abundant floral grave materials. US veterans. St. John’s Church Cemetery. Approx 0.60 acre. SA-C126. Spears Creek, Tx area. GPS 31.23.21.35161N –94.18.26.40310W. USGS 3194-134. © RIP Survey, Texas Historical Commission.Low risk of endangerment, somewhat remote but fenced, maintained, expanded, still in use, on map, associated church community.

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