Rock Springs Cemetery
Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This burial ground is on land deeded for cemetery use in 1853, though there may have been interments dating to the 1840s. The property was under the jurisdiction of historic Cumberland Presbyterian Church until 1940. Families of the interred cared for it until 1965, when Rock Springs Cemetery Association formed to maintain the burial ground. The cemetery features vertical stones, masonic stones and interior fencing. Among the interred are rock springs pioneers and veterans of military conflicts including the Texas War for Independence and the Civil War. Today, this burial ground is still in use while remaining a link to the early settlers and rich history of the Rock Springs Community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Land here was deeded for burials in 1853, though graves may date to the 1840s, and for decades the historic Cumberland Presbyterian Church oversaw the ground. Families of the deceased tended it until a cemetery association formed in 1965. Among the interred are Rock Springs pioneers and veterans of conflicts from the Texas War for Independence through the Civil War, resting beneath vertical stones, Masonic markers, and interior fencing.
Why it matters
A pioneer burial ground like this preserves the memory of the settlers and soldiers who built one of East Texas's early frontier communities.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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