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Directions:
From Cleburne take FM
4 towards Grandview for about 5
miles. There's a Texas Historical Commission marker on the main road
and after that the church and cemetery are on the left side of the
road.
The Watts Chapel Methodist Church
This isn't a historical church preserved for future generations to
see and appreciate. The Watts Chapel Methodist Church is still very
much a part of the local community, and it's a very busy place. During
a recent visit to a Sunday service I had to sit in a pew way in the
back because the entire church was full |
Historical Marker:
Watts Chapel
Methodist Church and Cemetery
The
rural Watts Chapel community is named for the family of Nathaniel
Franklin Watts (1851-1919), who settled in this area of Johnson
County in 1872. Watts married Rachel Ann Bennett in 1875, and
they bought a small farm near this site. They acquired additional
acreage over the years and operated a cotton gin for farmers in the
region. Mr. Watts later served as a Johnson
County commissioner. Nathaniel and Rachel Watts were the parents
of twelve children, five of whom died at an early age.
The Watts Chapel Cemetery began as a family burial ground in 1879,
when their infant daughter, Sallie, died and was buried on the family
farm. Over the years other family members also were interred here,
as were friends and neighbors in the community. In 1892 the Watts
family deeded three acres of land to the Methodist church. The Rev.
B. F. Badget served as first pastor of the new congregation, which
was named Watts Chapel in honor of its benefactors.
The congregation continues to be an active part of the community and
hosts an annual homecoming celebration. Both the church and the cemetery
reflect the pioneer heritage of rural Johnson
County. |
The Watts Chapel
Cemetery
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The four little grave markers in foreground are all
Watts family children who died early in life with the nearest stone
being Sallie.
Photo
Courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, March 2004 |
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The
marker stone for Sallie Watts, the first of the five Watts family
infants to die and the oldest grave in the cemetery.
Photo
Courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, March 2004 |
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