Old Spanish Cemetery
Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This courthouse stands in the Old Spanish Cemetery used from 1800 to 1895. Notable among those whose remains rest here is Antonio Gil y Barbo, 1729-1809. Founder of Nacogdoches. An outstanding figure in the life of this frontier town at the close of the 18th century, who was captain of militia, military and civil lieutenant, governor, and judge of revenue for the town and district of Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Nacogdoches. In 1783, he published the town's first criminal code.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The courthouse here rises over the Old Spanish Cemetery, used from 1800 to 1895 and resting place of Antonio Gil y Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches. A towering figure of the late-eighteenth-century Spanish frontier, he served as militia captain, civil and military lieutenant, governor, and judge, and in 1783 published the town's first criminal code. His grave anchors one of the oldest continuously settled towns in Texas.
Why it matters
It preserves the Spanish colonial roots of Texas, a reminder that European settlement here began generations before Anglo-American arrival.
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Related people
- · Antonio Gil y Barbo
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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