Historic Cemetery

Arline Cemetery

Hillister, Texas
Location: Driving Directions:From FM 1943, go 2.3 miles north on CR 4520 (just east of Swearingen Cemetery). Turn left onto logging road and go 0.2 mile south. Cemetery is located on right (west) side of road, immediately adjacent to road. Only three grave markers evident. Cemetery is heavily overgrown and easy to miss. This cemetery is highly endangered. It is not a map feature, and is located in a remote area on private property. The cemetery is heavily overgrown and neglected. A dilapidated barbed wire fenced partly encloses the cemetery, which contains three graves marked with stamped concrete headstones. All of the markers are damaged and fallen. There may be more, unmarked graves, but heavy vegetation obscures visibility. The cemetery is threatened by encroaching logging, which completely surrounds the cemetery.

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