Barclay Cemetery

The town of Barclay was founded in 1877 when William Anderson Barclay (1849-1927) opened a General Mercantile store here. A leader in farming, business, commercial and industrial circles throughout central Texas, W. A. Barclay also operated a large horse and cattle ranch nearby and was appointed the town's first postmaster in 1881. As more settlers moved into the area, the need for a church and cemetery became evident. In 1881 pioneer Lyddleton Smith of Washington County assigned three acres of land for a Baptist Church. The congregation that was organized became known as Beulah (later Barclay) Baptist Church, and its members set aside part of the property for a burial ground. Barclay Cemetery, with its oldest grave dating from 1882,has been enlarged several times over the years. Confederate veteran Paul Pieper (1849-1914), who moved his family to the town in 1882, donated part of his acreage for additional burial grounds in 1886 and deeded more land to the cemetery upon his death. The graveyard has been maintained by the Barclay Cemetery Association since 1915. In use for more than 100 years, the burial ground remains an important part of the history of this community.

Barclay Cemetery is a historical marker in Barclay, Falls County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 64 historical markers documented in Falls County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 70 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.0733, -97.1127 near Barclay. The nearest cataloged historic site is Salem Lutheran Church (historical marker), about 1.7 miles away. Others within a short drive include Frank and Julia Bockholt Home, Church of the Visitation, and Westphalia Little School.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5145000303. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.