Merrilltown Cemetery

THIS BURIAL GROUND HAS SERVED THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE THE EARLY 1850s. MOST OF THOSE INTERRED HERE LIVED IN THE MERRILLTOWN COMMUNITY, WHICH CAPTAIN NELSON MERRELL (d. 1879) ESTABLISHED WHEN HE SETTLED HERE IN 1837. HE OPERATED THE POST OFFICE AND A STORE IN THE COMMUNITY. CAPTAIN MERRELL DEEDED THIS PROPERTY TO TRUSTEES OF SCHOOL DISTRICT #9 IN 1856 FOR USE AS A BURIAL GROUND; HE ALSO DEEDED LAND FOR A CHURCH AND SCHOOL. MERRELL SERVED AS TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER (1852 – 1859) AND ASSISTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS AVENUE; HE IS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS A TEXAS RANGER FOR HIS WORK IN LEADING A GROUP OF RANGERS IN PROTECTING AUSTIN FROM ATTACKS BY NATIVE AMERICANS. THE OLDEST MARKED GRAVE IN MERRILLTOWN CEMETERY IS OF JULIA MERRELL (d. 1852), THE YOUNG DAUGHTER OF NELSON AND RACHEL MERRELL (d. 1862). ANOTHER NOTED BURIAL HERE IS OF LEMUEL SUMMERWELL WOODWARD (1813-1891), ANOTHER TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER (1860-1864). OTHERS INTERRED INCLUDE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND VETERANS OF MILITARY CONFLICTS DATING TO THE CIVIL WAR. CEMETERY FEATURES INCLUDE CURBING, VERTICAL STONES, OBELISKS, A WOODMAN OF THE WORLD GRAVE MARKER AND INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS (I.O.O.F.) GRAVE MARKERS. MERRILLTOWN RESIDENTS MAINTAINED THE GROUNDS UNTIL 1982, WHEN THE ROUND ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS NAMED THE CEMETERY’S TRUSTEE. IN 1996, THE CALVARY WORSHIP CENTER ASSUMED THIS CHARITABLE TRUST FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND TODAY CONTINUES TO CARE FOR THE BURIAL GROUND. ALTHOUGH THIS AREA WAS ANNEXED INTO AUSTIN, MERRILLTOWN CEMETERY PERSISTS AS A REMINDER OF THE MERRILLTOWN COMMUNITY, AND SERVES AS A RECORD OF THIS AREA’S EARLY PIONEERS. HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY – 2000

Merrilltown Cemetery is a historical marker in Austin, Travis County, dedicated in 2000. It is one of 336 historical markers documented in Travis County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 641 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.4538, -97.6951 near Austin. The nearest cataloged historic site is The Gault Homestead (historical marker), about 1.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Bratton Cemetery, Capitol Memorial Park, and Memorial Hill Park.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016037. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.