| Marker Number |
9837 |
| Atlas Number |
5159009837 |
| Marker Title |
Cypress Church and Cemetery |
| Index Entry |
Cypress Church and Cemetery |
| Address |
|
| City |
Mt. Vernon |
| County |
Franklin |
| UTM Zone |
15 |
| UTM Easting |
287343 |
| UTM Northing |
3659073 |
| Subject Codes |
cemetery; Baptist denomination; churches |
| Marker Year |
1979 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
from Mt. Vernon take SH 37 about 8.5 mi. SW to CR 3230, go west about 1 mi. |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
27" x 42" |
| Marker Text |
On August 28, 1851, the Associated Cypress Baptist Church was founded. The congregation constructed a meetinghouse on this property which belonged to Spencer Shearer. In 1862 he deeded the six-acre site to the congregation. the site also served as a burial ground. The bell tower was used to call neighbors to help with grave digging. One of the earliest marked headstones is that of Jane Willis Huggins (1837-1854), daughter of Jonathan and Mary Huggins. According to local tradition, Confederate troops trained on the church grounds during the civil war, 1861-1865. The fellowship joined the Red River Baptist Association and was a charter member of Rehoboth Association of the Southern baptist Convention. the present sanctuary replaced the original in 1953. The next year another acre was donated to be used as needed for interments. although plots are not sold, perpetual care is financed by donations at the memorial services each year in June. The Cypress Cemetery Foundation was organized in 1968. Members of the church helped found the Mt. Zion Church which later began the First Baptist Church in Winnsboro. Descendants of many of the early founders are active in the congregation. (1979) |
