San Felipe de Austin Cemetery

San Felipe de Austin Cemetery. . San Felipe de Austin was established in 1824 as the community and administrative headquarters of Stephen F. Austin's original Anglo American colony in Texas. The site for the township was chosen by Austin and the Baron Felipe Enrique Neri de Bastrop., The original 1824 Mexican charter for San Felipe de Austin contains a survey which set aside this site for cemetery purposes. Although the earliest documented interment is that of Elisebath J. Eidman in 1846, historical references to earlier deaths in the community suggest burials here prior to that year., The cemetery consists of a fenced Anglo section containing about 370 grave sites and an adjacent, separately fenced, African American section containing an estimated 200 grave sites, at least three of which are known to be those of former slaves., From the time of its establishment in 1824 San Felipe de Austin Cemetery was maintained by the town of San Felipe de Austin until 1966. Since that year the town has added land to the cemetery and transferred its ownership and care to two community cemetery associations comprised of descendants of persons interred here. Many of this area's early pioneers and leaders are buried here., (incise) , James W. Brown Chapter DRT-San Felipe de Austin Cemetery Assn.