Oakwood Cemetery (Austin, Texas)

Last updated
City Cemetery
Oakwood Cemetery Austin Texas 2018.jpg
The entrance to the cemetery off Comal Street
Location16th & Navasota
Austin, Texas, US
Coordinates 30°16′36″N97°43′35″W / 30.27667°N 97.72639°W / 30.27667; -97.72639
MPS East Austin MRA
NRHP reference No. 85002297 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 17, 1985

Oakwood Cemetery, originally called City Cemetery, is the oldest city-owned cemetery in Austin, Texas. Situated on a hill just east of I-35 that overlooks downtown Austin, just north of the Swedish Hill Historic District and south of Disch-Falk Field, the once-isolated site is now in the center of the city.

Contents

History

The Oakwood Cemetery Chapel Oakwood Cemetery Chapel Austin Texas 2022.jpg
The Oakwood Cemetery Chapel

The cemetery dates from the mid-1850s. It may have begun even earlier, as legend states that its first tenants were victims of a Comanche attack whose bodies were laid to rest on the same hill.

The cemetery was renamed Oakwood in 1907 per city ordinance. It spreads over 40 acres (160,000 m2), including an annex across Comal Street to the east, and includes sections historically dedicated to the city's black, Latino, and Jewish populations. Paupers were historically buried in unmarked graves on the cemetery's south side. Graves without permanent markers were subject to reburial after a given period.

In 1914 the Oakwood Cemetery Mortuary Chapel was built on a design by Texas architect Charles Henry Page as a site for memorial services. The chapel was later renovated and remodeled in 1944 under the direction of local architect J. Roy White. [2]

The cemetery became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1972 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985; its annex was added on October 30, 2003. The view of the Texas State Capitol from Comal Street in the center of the cemetery became one of the Capitol View Corridors protected under state and local law from obstruction by tall buildings in 1983. [3] Despite its protected status, the cemetery has been subject to crime, vandalism, and decay for decades.

Notable burials

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas State Capitol</span> State capitol of the U.S. state of Texas

The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the American state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 to 1888 under the direction of civil engineer Reuben Lindsay Walker. A $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellefontaine Cemetery</span>

Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine is home to a number of architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as the Louis Sullivan-designed Wainwright Tomb, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allegheny Cemetery</span> United States historic place

Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a historic rural cemetery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisha M. Pease</span> American politician (1812–1883)

Elisha Marshall Pease was a Texas politician. He served as the fifth and 13th governor of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Hogg</span> American lawyer and statesman (1851–1906)

James Stephen Hogg was an American lawyer and statesman, and the 20th Governor of Texas. He was born near Rusk, Texas. Hogg was a follower of the conservative New South Creed which became popular following the U.S. Civil War, and was also associated with populism. He was the first Texas Governor to have been born in Texas. Jim Hogg County is named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oran Milo Roberts</span> Governor of Texas from 1879 to 1883

Oran Milo Roberts, was the 17th Governor of Texas from January 21, 1879, to January 16, 1883. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ima Hogg</span> Philanthropist, patron of the arts, one of the most respected Texas women of the 20th century

Ima Hogg, known as "The First Lady of Texas", was an American society leader, philanthropist, mental health advocate, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during the 20th century. Hogg was an avid art collector, and owned works by Picasso, Klee, and Matisse, among others. Hogg donated hundreds of pieces of artwork to Houston's Museum of Fine Arts and served on a committee to plan the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. An enthusiastic collector of early American antiques, she also served on a committee tasked with locating historical furniture for the White House. She restored and refurbished several properties, including the Varner plantation and Bayou Bend, which she later donated to Texas arts and historical institutions who maintain the facilities and their collections today. Hogg received numerous awards and honors, including the Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Santa Rita Award from the University of Texas System, and an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Southwestern University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pompeo Coppini</span> American sculptor

Pompeo Luigi Coppini was an Italian born sculptor who emigrated to the United States. Although his works can be found in Italy, Mexico and a number of U.S. states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas. He is particularly famous for the Alamo Plaza work, Spirit of Sacrifice, a.k.a. The Alamo Cenotaph, as well as numerous statues honoring Texan figures, such as Lawrence Sullivan Ross, the fourth President of Texas A&M University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas State Cemetery</span> United States historic place

The Texas State Cemetery (TSC) is a cemetery located on about 22 acres (8.9 ha) just east of downtown Austin, the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and vice-president of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War. Later it was expanded again to include the graves and cenotaphs of prominent Texans and their spouses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theta Nu Epsilon</span> Student society at Wesleyan University, US

Theta Nu Epsilon is a sophomore class society. Founded at Wesleyan University in 1870 as a chapter of Skull and Bones, the society accepts members regardless of their fraternity status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankfort Cemetery</span> Historic site in Franklin County, Kentucky

The Frankfort Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors and a Vice President of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpha Tau Omega</span> North American collegiate fraternity

Alpha Tau Omega (ΑΤΩ), commonly known as ATO, is an American social fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865 by Otis Allan Glazebrook. The fraternity has around 250 active and inactive chapters and colonies in the United States and has initiated more than 229,000 members. VMI Cadets are no longer associated with the fraternity. In 1885, the VMI Board of Visitors ruled that cadets could no longer join fraternities based on the belief that allegiance to a fraternal group undermined the cohesiveness of and loyalty to the Corps of Cadets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old City Cemetery (Columbus, Georgia)</span> Historic cemetery in Muscogee County, Georgia, US

The Old City Cemetery, also known as Linwood Cemetery, is a 28.7-acre (11.6 ha) cemetery on what is now Linwood Boulevard, in Columbus, Georgia. It dates from 1828, when the town of Columbus was founded, or before. It appears in surveyor Edward Lloyd Thomas's original plan for the city. The cemetery consists mostly of rectangular family plots bordered by iron fences or walls made of brick or granite, accessed by a main east-west corridor and perpendicular lanes. It includes both simple and elaborate tombstones, some displaying Egyptian Revival or Gothic styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Washington Brackenridge</span> American philanthropist

George Washington Brackenridge was a philanthropist and the longest-serving Regent for the University of Texas. His donations of time, land holdings and wealth expanded the university and provided educational opportunities for women and other minorities. He was an advocate of women's suffrage and women's educational opportunities. He was also a business man who made his initial wealth as a profiteer during the Civil War. Brackenridge organized two banking institutions in San Antonio and served as their president. He was president of the San Antonio Water Works Company. Alamo Heights in Bexar County was once his residence and was named by him. His mansion Fernridge is now part of University of the Incarnate Word campus. Brackenridge Park, San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden and Mahncke Park in San Antonio were made possible through his donations of land holdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Henry Page</span> American architect

Charles Henry Page (1876–1957) was an American architect. He and his brother Louis Charles Page (1883–1934) founded the Texas firm of Page Brothers, Architects. The firm achieved great recognition when they were commissioned to design the Texas State Building for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The Pages also designed many courthouses and other buildings across Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Capitol View Corridors</span> Construction restrictions in Austin, Texas

The Capitol View Corridors are a series of legal restrictions on construction in Austin, Texas, aimed at preserving protected views of the Texas State Capitol from various points around the city. First established by the Texas Legislature in 1983 and recodified in 2001, the corridors are meant to protect the capitol dome from obstruction by high-rise buildings. While supported by cultural and historical preservation organizations, the corridors have also been criticized for limiting the potential for the development of new tall structures in downtown Austin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakwood Cemetery (Fort Worth, Texas)</span> Historic cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas

Oakwood Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the city of Fort Worth, Texas. Deeded to the city in 1879, it is the burial place of prominent local citizens, pioneers, politicians, and performers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardaway Hunt Dinwiddie</span> 4th President of Texas A&M

Hardaway Hunt Dinwiddie was a distinguished educator and a pivotal figure in the development of Texas higher education. He served as the 4th president of Texas A&M College. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1868. In 1865 while at VMI, he was the second initiate and a charter member of the Alpha Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Garland James</span> 2nd President of Texas A&M

John Garland James was a distinguished educator and a pivotal figure in the development of Texas higher education. He served as the 2nd president of Texas A&M College. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1867. In 1865 while at VMI, he was the first initiate and a charter member of the Alpha Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

References

  1. "NRHP nomination form" (PDF). Texas Historical Commission.
  2. "City of Austin Cemeteries – Introducing the Master Plan Process" (PPT). City of Austin. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  3. "Downtown Development and Capitol View Corridors" (PDF). Downtown Austin Commission. June 27, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2017.