Historic Cemetery

Pattison Methodist Cemetery

35500-35654 Royal Rd, Pattison, Texas 77423
Location: Pattison Community Cem--Recorded WALL03—Parsons. HbTx-- in this file: “Pattison is near the junction of Farm roads 1458 and 359, thirty miles west of Houston in southern Waller County. It was named for James Tarrant Pattison, who purchased a large tract of William Heady's Mexican land grant in 1839 and built his plantation house on a hill. Pattison's plantation was a stage stop at the intersection of the Atascosito Roadqv and the San Felipe Trail and included a gin, a gristmill, a sawmill, and a race track for the local gentry's favorite sport. …. town was organized in 1877, when Pattison's children granted the Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railroad a right-of-way through their property and donated additional land for a turntable and townsite. The preexisting community of Pine Grove, centered around Edwin Waller'sqv general store and post office and already a supply point for the surrounding rich agricultural area by 1873, soon moved to the railroad terminus on the Pattison plantation. … Later German, Jewish and Armenian immigrants came …later opened Pattison Negro school. … [Town dwindled then rebuilt on different economy.]”Direct of Cems in Waller Co, 1977/1992: “Land for present Pattison cem given by G. M. Pattison in response to C. Dewitt’s family death and could not bury in the James T. Pattison Cem.—oral hist that the land inherited with cem was inherited again and current owner’s homesite near cem—refused to have any more burials there. G. M. Pattison allowed burial on land 0.5 mile N of Pattison on Hempstead-Pattison Rd. In 1889 G. W. Pattison & Wife gave add’l 4.34 acres for Pattison Community Burial Ground. Deed recorded as simply Pattison Cem. Approx 300 burials, earliest about 1870s. Index.”Websites for Waller Co Hist & TexHist Cem: “0.5 mi N of Pattison on Hempstead Hwy, USGS map*THC site visit MB 5/20/04: Just N of Pattison, 0.7 mile N o0f FM 1458 on FM 159. Brick entryway, memorial marker, flagpole, pavilion. Site adjacent to wooded area, residence, roadway, and unrelated large monastery to the S (Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Community.). Formal cemetery. Great diversity of formal and informal markers over time. Cedar marker trees, Crape Myrtle, , Rosemary, Lilies. Benches, chairs, photo enamels, THC biographical marker. Abundant floral, decorative and religious grave materials. San Augustine Grass. Approx 4.66 acre. GPS 29.50.00.14676N –95.59.39.15428W. Quad 2995-332. Low risk endangerment, partially fenced, on map, still in use, evidence of frequent visitation, municipal maintenance.

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.