Watts Chapel Methodist Church and Cemetery
Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The rural Watts Chapel community is named for the family of Nathaniel Franklin Watts (1851-1919), who settled in this area of Johnson County in 1872. Watts married Rachel Ann Bennett in 1875, and they bought a small farm near this site. They acquired additional acreage over the years and operated a cotton gin for farmers in the region. Mr. Watts later served as a Johnson County commissioner. Nathaniel and Rachel Watts were the parents of twelve children, five of whom died at an early age. The Watts Chapel Cemetery began as a family burial ground in 1879, when their infant daughter, Sallie, died and was buried on the family farm. Over the years other family members also were interred here, as were friends and neighbors in the community. IN 1892 the Watts family deeded three acres of land to the Methodist church. The Rev. B. F. Badget served as first pastor of the new congregation, which was named Watts Chapel in honor of its benefactors. The congregation continues to be an active part of the community and hosts an annual homecoming celebration. Both the church and the cemetery reflect the pioneer heritage of rural Johnson County.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Nathaniel Franklin Watts brought his family to rural Johnson County in 1872 and, with his wife Rachel, built up a farm and cotton gin that served their neighbors. Sorrow came early — five of their twelve children died young — and the family burial ground began in 1879 with the grave of their infant daughter Sallie. In 1892 the Wattses deeded three acres for a Methodist congregation that took their name, and the church and cemetery have anchored the community ever since.
Why it matters
Watts Chapel is a portrait of how a single pioneer family's farm, graveyard, and gift of land could seed a lasting rural community in post-Civil War Texas.
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Related people
- · Nathaniel Franklin Watts
- · Rachel Ann Bennett Watts
- · Rev. B. F. Badget
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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