GIVE TEXAS’ HISTORIC CEMETERIES A GHOST OF A CHANCE

03. Oct, 2010 0 Comments

     AUSTIN, Texas— The Texas Historical Commission (THC) estimates there
are as many as 50,000 cemeteries throughout the state, many which may be
eligible for historic designation. October offers many opportunities for you
to get out and help preserve these graveyards, which are one of Texas’ most
significant, but sometimes forgotten cultural resources. Several events
occurring throughout the month include an RIP (Record, Investigate, Protect)
Guardian maintenance event in Houston on October 2, a Cemetery Preservation
Workshop in Albany on October 16, and the October 29 tour Beyond the Iron
Gate: Cemeteries and Community Building occurring as a component of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Annual Conference in Austin.
Other opportunities to learn about historic cemeteries will also be
available at sessions during the Society for Historical Archeology’s 2011
conference, also in Austin, January 5–9.
       The THC is committed to preserving historic cemeteries utilizing two
cohesive programs. Established in 1998, the Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC)
program addresses the problem of cemetery destruction by recording as many
graveyards as possible. The program has enabled the official designation of
more than 1,600 historic cemeteries in 254 counties. In 2006, Preservation
Texas named historic cemeteries to its list of Texas’ Most Endangered
Historic Places. The RIP Guardian program is a statewide network of cemetery
preservation volunteers dedicated to protecting historic burial grounds in
Texas. The first step toward becoming an RIP Guardian is to obtain the HTC
designation. Together the HTC designation and RIP Guardian program help
preserve and promote the real stories of Texas and are part of a broad
cemetery preservation program offered by the THC.
       To learn more about the HTC designation and the RIP Guardian Program,
contact the THC’s History Programs Division at 512.463.5853 or visit
www.thc.state.tx.us.