The Zion Hill Cemetery, which is located off Park Street, had 23 new headstones laid on Friday afternoon. After falling into disrepair in the 1970s, the cemetery has been under the custodianship of the City of Nacogdoches, and, according to historical records, had numerous unmarked graves. During a survey conducted by Stephen F. Austin State University students and faculty, they were able to definitively identify 23 unmarked graves.
Since the 1880s, the cemetery has been in use by the Zion Hill Baptist Church, and as a part of the ongoing efforts to maintain and restore this cemetery the Mu Sigma Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity of Stephen F. Austin State University raised money and purchased 23 flat headstones with the inscription “unknown” written beneath a simple cross. These markers were placed on the locations of the unmarked graves by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and the City of Nacogdoches Cemetery Department.
This project is a partnership between the City of Nacogdoches, Stephen F. Austin State University, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and the Friends of Historic Nacogdoches, Inc. Last year, the chain link fence that bordered Park Street was taken down and replaced with a new wrought iron fence, which was provided by the Friends of Historic Nacogdoches, Inc. and is now lined with bulbs planted by Jeff Abt. The City of Nacogdoches hopes to continue to improve this cemetery and shed light on the history of Zion Hill Baptist Church and Zion Hill Cemetery.
For more information about this project, contact the Directory of Community Services at 936-559-2935 or by email at brayb@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.
