Spann-Sweed Catholic Cemetery, African American

Location: African American Spann Sweed Family Blessed Virigin Mary Catholic Church Cem AKA African American Catholic Cemetery. “Believed to be the oldest African American Catholic community in Texas, this settlement traces its history to the late 1840s. The Spann families migrated to Hidalgo from South Carolina in 1848, bringing several slaves to the area. A Catholic mission was established for the new settlers and the slave families worshipped with them at a log cabin called the Holy Rosary or the Old Spann Chapel. The Old Catholic Cemetery, located near the log cabin, was the Spann family cemetery. The Spanns and the Sweeds (the slave families) are buried there, and it is still in use today. In 1888 Father Martin Francis Huhn organized a mission specifically for the African American community, conducting Mass monthly in the log chapel. A separate chapel was constructed in 1936 by Father George Elmendorf and named Sacred Heart. In 1969 a church building and community hall were constructed at Post Oak on land deeded from Spann descendants to the Sweeds. The church structure was named the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel. A new church building was completed in 1995 to serve the African American community in the Brenham area, descendants of the original Sweed families. LOCATION: From Brenham, take SH 105 about 12 miles NE to Sweed Rd. (CR 100), go W about 1.8 miles (veer left on Conner Road - follow around) to church and marker THC Atlas map, Topo Zone map in file. THC site visit MB 1-21-05 w/ A Hartstack: Washington, Tx area, Off Sweed Rd. Interior access roads. Near Catholic church, multiple akas, VERIFY dominant name.AKA Old Catholic Cemetery AKA Holy Rosary Church CemAKA Spann Family Catholic Church CemAKA Sweed Family Catholic CemAKA Sacred Heart [1969]AKA Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church Cem [2005]Large fenced site accessed by Sweed Rd, about 1,800 ft., and also by dirt lane behind the church. Formal markers, diversity over time, including obelisks, slabs, some homemade markers, unique decorative stones, and commercial mortuary. Recent burials, visitation, floral and decorative grave materials. Potential unknown unmarked graves. US veterans. Approx 3.01 acres. Low-risk endangerment, associated nearby Church w/ THC marker, fenced, maintained, still in use.