Katy Community Cemetery Received Historic Designation
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) recently designated Katy Community Cemetery (also known as Antioch Community Cemetery) as a Historic Texas Cemetery. The distinction means the cemetery has been legally recorded through the THC’s Historic Texas Cemetery Program, an important step ensuring its preservation.
This designation is reserved for cemeteries that are at least 50 years old and documented through the Historic Texas Cemeteries process to record their historic association and significance.
“This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of this important cultural resource,” says Mark Wolfe, executive director at the THC. “Knowledge and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of this site.”
Katy Community Cemetery aka Antioch Community Cemetery belongs to the Antioch Baptist Church and is located near the intersection of I-10 and FM1463. In 1929 the church purchased this acre of land from Adam Stockdick for $37.50 for use as the Katy Community Cemetery. It has been in constant use since 1929 and is responsible for the location of I-10 west, which was slated to be constructed north of the present highway. The highway was moved south because of the Katy Community Cemetery.
The cemetery represents an important facet of Katy area history and it took over two years to get the historic designation. “The process involved surveying the property, inventorying the cemetery, comparing old records, sub-surface mapping, taking many photographs and filling out pages of information to file through the county and ultimately, the THC office in Austin.” said Carol Adams, who has been working on the project since 2008, and filed the paperwork as a volunteer helping the church.
The City of Katy plans a special recognition at the June 27 meeting of City Council and will install a historic marker at the site in the near future.
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