City Cemetery
Why it's listed
Oakwood Cemetery, also known as City Cemetery, occupies about 34 acres on a hill in East Austin and ranks among the city's earliest burial grounds. The first burial in the area is thought to have taken place in 1839, and in 1856 the Texas Legislature transferred the land to the City of Austin. Mature oaks and cedars shade the grounds, and a high chain-link fence surrounds the original section. The entrance at East 16th and Navasota streets passes between massive rusticated-stone posts with a double wrought-iron gate. Monumental crypts and cenotaphs mark family plots in both the Jewish and non-Jewish areas. Among those buried here are Governor E. M. Pease, Thomas Watt Gregory, and Thomas F. McKinney, along with members of the Zilker, Mayer, Bergstrom and Nalle families. The custodian's office is a one-story, L-shaped Gothic Revival building of rusticated limestone with a crenelated corner tower and pointed-arch openings. Its design and the cemetery's long association with Austin's early leaders support its listing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
|---|---|
| Styles | Gothic Revival (custodian's office) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Acreage | 34 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | City Cemetery (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.