Anti-Slaveholding Union Baptist Cemetery
Round Rock, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(0.1 mile east) This early Williamson County graveyard has been referred to as Smalley Cemetery due to its connection with the family of pioneer Baptist preacher Freeman Smalley. Early settlers of this area, the Smalleys were associated with the nearby Anti-Slaveholding Union Baptist Church. Though the oldest grave marker is dated 1853, it is believed that Freeman Smalley, Jr., was the first person buried in the cemetery in 1849. The land on which the cemetery is located was deeded to trustees of the church in 1854. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Williamson County graveyard is tied to the family of pioneer Baptist preacher Freeman Smalley and to the nearby Anti-Slaveholding Union Baptist Church — a congregation whose very name declared its opposition to slavery in antebellum Texas. Though the oldest surviving stone dates to 1853, Freeman Smalley, Jr., is believed to have been the first buried here in 1849, and the land was formally deeded to the church's trustees in 1854.
Why it matters
The abolitionist congregation behind this cemetery is a striking reminder that antislavery conviction took root even in a slaveholding frontier state before the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Freeman Smalley
- · Freeman Smalley, Jr.
Themes & tags
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