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Elisha and Mary Stowe Chinn purchased this site in 1853 and donated 10 acres atop the hill north of Lockhart Spring. As deaths occurred among the early settlers to this area, services were held in the log cabin chapel, and graves were placed nearby. Travel to the cemetery was difficult, especially for those living outside the community. The wagon trail through the valley connected Denton with Lewisville, but a westerly road leading to the nearby commercial center at Waketon was needed. In 1885 a road connecting Chinn's Chapel community to Waketon was built, incorporating the old wagon trail. It was named Chinn Chapel Road. This cemetery features a variety of grave markers. Among the oldest markers are those of limestone, while other early graves were marked simply with rocks. Often a larger stone was placed at the head and a smaller one at the foot of the grave. Some family plots display mounds of earth outlined with shells, a folk tradition brought to America by African slaves. Many tombstones are carved from native sandstone, while later monuments display ornate decorations, such as columns, urns, pediments and round-topped finials. This cemetery continues to serve the community. (1996) |
