Fairview Cemetery Chapel - Gainesville, TX
N 33° 37.897 W 097° 07.555
14S E 673823 N 3722886
The 1938 Fairview Cemetery chapel is now used as the office in this historic Texas cemetery, located within sight of the cemetery gate.
Waymark Code: WM127WB
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/23/2020
Views: 1
There is a bronze memorial plate near one of the chapel doors, and it gives "1939" as the year of construction, dedicating the chapel to "Our loved ones who rest here". Presumably, the chapel was begun in 1938 and completed in 1939. It is slightly cross-shaped -- the arms of the cross are very uneven in size, giving the chapel an asymmetric character -- and is very Gothic, slightly compressed with a steep roof topped by a Celtic cross, and a beautiful bas relief of three welcoming angels, encouraging visitors to "Enter", "Restand" and "Pray".
A 1997 Texas Historical Marker references the chapel in the last paragraph:
Originally the Howeth family cemetery, this site traces its history to 1854, when a tornado struck the Howeth family cabin near Gainesville. First buried here were Thomas and Louisa Howeth, young children of William and Harriet Bell Howeth. William Howeth deeded the ten-acre cemetery to Cooke County in 1868. In 1878 the Cooke County commissioners turned over the site to the City of Gainesville in a 999-year lease. A city ordinance reserved a section for freedmen.
The cemetery's name was changed in 1897 to East Hill, and in 1904 the name was changed again to Fairview. A separate Jewish cemetery adjoined this site from 1881 until 1964 when the two graveyards were combined.
Among the estimated 18,000 graves are those of Civil War Veterans; Preston Conlee, a San Jacinto battle veteran and Bastrop County sheriff who lies in an unmarked grave; 34 victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic; Bob Scott, ex-slave and centenarian; and former U.S. Senator Joseph Weldon Bailey.
A chapel and sexton's office, designed by Dallas architect Will Scott Richter, was constructed in 1938 at a cost of $6,296. The arched gate dates to 1964. This Victorian-era cemetery continues to serve the city.
Date of Chapel Construction: 1938
Denomination of Chapel or Cemetery (if applicable): None
Active Chapel?: no
Main Construction Material of Chapel: Stone
Description of Cemetery added in Long Description: yes
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