Historic Cemetery

Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery

870 Co Rd 4870, Winnsboro, Texas 75494
Location: Hopewell Cem.Recorded: WOOD05—Parsons; (location in Co. Hist.: Vol. 4, p. 246: “…very large and very old cemetery … northwest …at intersection of FM1643 and FM515 go south on FM1643 for 0.1 mile to an oiled road, turn east for 1.0 mile … cemetery is on south side of road. Only a small portion of this cemetery has grass, most is kept hoed [scraped earth] and swept … many graves marked only with native rock, carefully mounded … well-cared for with many burials here each year as additional space has been added to the older sections. Unusual marker blacksmith anvil.) Cemetery Index; HbTx: “The Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church was established in 1855 and met in a brush arbor and log house. In 1876 John R. Moore donated three acres of land for church and cemetery purposes. The first recorded burial was that of Henry Nixon in 1879. The church and cemetery continue to serve the community as they have more more than a century.”- THC site visit MB 1/10/04. CR 4885 and CR 4870 W of Winnsboro. Great diversity of formal markers over time, including obelisks, some photo enamels, also scattered fieldstone markers. WoW and Veterans. Abundant floral and decorative grave materials. Fenced, adjacent church. Nearby wooded and residential areas, rural. 3.07 acres. Approx Approx 300 x 500, irregular. GPS 32.55.11.57224N –95.23.37.74369W.

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