Union Hill Presbyterian Church and Cemetery

Settlement in this area began in the early 1850s. By the 1870s Union Hill had developed into a small rural community of families primarily engaged in cotton farming. In 1879 a presbyterian congregation was organized in Union Hill through the efforts of the Rev. J. S. Davenport. The congregation erected a one-room church building at this site in 1880. In 1882 W. P. and Miley Johnson deeded five acres here to Union Hill Church trustees T. E. Wilshire, C. G. Witherspoon, and J. L. Shipley for church and cemetery purposes. The first recorded burial was that of Margaret Beatty on February 4, 1883. Among those buried here are area pioneers and their descendants and several veterans of the Civil War. A tabernacle was built in 1925 and in 1938 the graveyard was improved with the building of a fence with an arched gateway. A cemetery association was formed in 1983 and in 1992 a new tabernacle was constructed. Gatherings on December 24th for a Christmas Eve program and in June for a picnic are two special activities initiated by the congregation in the 1890s which have become traditional annual events. The church and cemetery continue to provide spiritual guidance and burial sites for the community.

Union Hill Presbyterian Church and Cemetery is a historical marker in Joshua, Johnson County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 71 historical markers documented in Johnson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 139 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.4572, -97.3505 near Joshua. The nearest cataloged historic site is Marystown Cemetery (historical marker), about 1.8 miles away. Others within a short drive include Methodism in Joshua, Lane Prairie Cemetery, and Old Lane Prairie Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5251005594. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.