Stuart-Smith Mausoleum - Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery - Texarkana, TX - Mausoleums on Waymarking.com

According to a rusted, fading sign on the mausoleum door, there are six interments here: White B. Stuart, W.B. Stuart, Genevieve Stuart, Lessie McCoy Smith, Baby Smith, and an unknown. The mausoleum is of brick, but there is no indication as to when it was constructed, nor is there any suggestion as to how these folks are related. In any event, someone was important or wealthy enough to build this mausoleum. Of the interments within, Findagrave has information about only one of them, W B. Stuart, who died in 1932.

History: A Texas Historical Marker near the gate provides some background about the cemetery itself: The Texas and Pacific Railroad founded Texarkana on December 8, 1873. Anthony Ghio and Col. R.W. Rodgers purchased town lots on the first day of sale. They and several other residents formed Sacred Heart Catholic Church under the leadership of Father Theodore Buffard, a priest from Galveston who served much of the region's Catholic population. The next year, the congregation celebrated Christmas Eve mass in their first sanctuary. Two years later, Col. Rodgers donated land for this church cemetery; his young daughter, Agnes Bernard Rodgers, had been buried here the previous year. Over the years, the congregation grew and also sponsored a sister church in the city. Sacred Heart Catholic Church established a school, and later developed a second burial ground and new church facilities. Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery features ironwork by the local LeGrand family, as well as sculpture by Raffl Studios of Paris, France. Immigrants from sixteen countries are buried here; inscriptions on the monuments, which vary greatly in style, indicate the diverse history of the congregation. Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours Address: 1301 Texas Blvd Texarkana, TX USA 75501 Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   05/03/2019 bro.bobby70 visited it