Rockvale
Spicewood, Burnet County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The once thriving community of Rockvale began as a pioneer settlement in the 1850s. A log cabin built in 1855 served as a school and church. A Baptist church was erected in 1856 and had eight charter members. Over 36 acres of land were deeded by Thomas Lloyd Denniston in 1872 to the Methodist Episcopal Church. A stone church building was erected on the land, and two acres were set aside for a cemetery. The earliest recorded burial is that of infant John Francis from 1870. The cemetery north of here is one of the few remnants of the Rockvale community, and is still in use. (1996) Historic Texas Cemetery medallion (2018) attached to post.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Rockvale grew from a pioneer settlement of the 1850s, where an 1855 log cabin doubled as school and church and a Baptist congregation organized in 1856. Thomas Lloyd Denniston deeded more than 36 acres to the Methodist church in 1872 for a stone sanctuary and a cemetery whose earliest recorded burial dates to 1870. That still-used cemetery is now among the few remnants of the vanished community.
Why it matters
Rockvale's faded footprint tells the common story of small Texas Hill Country communities that rose, served their settlers, and slowly disappeared.
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Related people
- · Thomas Lloyd Denniston
Themes & tags
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