Center Hill Cemetery
Lovelady, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Ellis family came from Mississippi to Texas in 1839. Charles McHenry Ellis and Elizabeth (Lovelady) Ellis had 15 children. After her death in 1865, he wed Aramenta Hartfield, with whom he had 7 children. His oldest son, Byanthy Woodville Ellis, deeded land including the family cemetery in 1876 for use as a church and burial ground. One of the first marked burials is that of Elizabeth Lovelady Ellis. There area also unmarked graves believed to be those of slaves. Today, the cemetery, which includes military veteran burials, is a link to the area's rich history and early settlers. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Ellis family came from Mississippi to Texas in 1839, part of the wave of southern settlers pushing into the region in the years before statehood. Charles McHenry Ellis raised a large family here, and in 1876 his son deeded land, including the family burial ground, for use as a church and cemetery. Among its early graves is that of Elizabeth Lovelady Ellis, alongside unmarked graves believed to be those of enslaved people and, later, military veterans.
Why it matters
Frontier family cemeteries like Center Hill preserve the layered story of early Texas settlement, including the enslaved people whose unmarked graves testify to lives the written record often left out.
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Related people
- · Charles McHenry Ellis
- · Elizabeth Lovelady Ellis
Themes & tags
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