Mt. Pleasant Cemetery

At the close of the Civil War, local African Americans newly freed from slavery formed the Mt. Pleasant Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. The Rev. M.F. Jamison served as the first pastor for the group, which was part of the East Texas Annual Conference. Members built a brush arbor and peace camp in this area and were led in the early years by the Rev. Frank Rabb, Major Sanders, and Parson Choice. They formally organized as a congregation in 1871. As more settlers moved into the area over the next two decades, the need arose for a community cemetery. In April 1891, trustees for the church purchased two acres at this site, adjacent to the sanctuary, from J.C. and S.S. Barnett. The earliest marked grave in the burial ground is that of a seven-year-old boy who died in July 1890. There are also several unmarked graves believed to date to the early 1870s. Today, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery continues to be linked to the church, although it has moved, and a church committee maintains the burial ground as the final resting place for generations of area pioneers and families, including military veterans, Freemasons, and community leaders.

Texas · United States