Historic Cemetery

Brown-Sheffield Cemetery

a.k.a. Brown, Sheffield

Woodville, Texas
Location: Driving Directions:From US 69 in Woodville, go 6.3 miles west on US 190, or from FM 256 north junction, go 0.9 mile west on US 190. At this point, turn left onto old logging road on south side of US 190 and follow it 0.1 mile south (the road will go uphill). Turn right onto logging road just south of old hunting camp and go 0.1 mile. Turn right again on logging road and follow the road till it dead ends at cemetery.This cemetery is highly endangered. It is not a map feature and is located in a remote area on private property. To access the cemetery, one must travel on narrow, winding logging roads that may be impassible at times. The cemetery is surrounded by recent logging. It is not fenced and is heavily overgrown. Loggers have placed survey flagging around the perimeter of the cemetery to mark the approximate boundaries. Cemetery features include formal markers, fieldstone markers, and conch shell decorations.

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