Hall Cemetery
Crockett, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Joshua James Hall (1790-1871) gave a portion of his land on this site about a mile from his homestead to be used as a burial ground. Hall Cemetery was already in use when freedmen French Taylor (1842-1937), Bob Denby, and Alf Warfield petitioned Hall for permission to bury their dead in the graveyard. Hall agreed, and the cemetery was used by both Anglo and African American settlers. The earliest marked grave is that of Mary A. Sharp (1843-1876). Hall Cemetery had several owners during the 20th century. A 1997 count revealed 29 marked and more than 105 unmarked graves. Descendants of early settlers continue to care for and maintain the land. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Joshua James Hall gave a corner of his Houston County land as a burying ground before the Civil War, and after emancipation the freedmen French Taylor, Bob Denby, and Alf Warfield asked his leave to lay their own dead there too. Hall agreed, and the cemetery became a rare shared resting place for both Anglo and African American settlers, its earliest marked grave dating to 1876. A 1997 survey found dozens of marked graves and more than a hundred unmarked ones, still tended by descendants.
Why it matters
An integrated cemetery in the Reconstruction-era South is a quiet but striking artifact, showing how newly freed people claimed the dignity of a marked grave alongside the neighbors who had once held them.
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Related people
- · Joshua James Hall
- · French Taylor
- · Bob Denby
- · Alf Warfield
- · Mary A. Sharp
Themes & tags
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