Del Rio Cemeteries Historic District
Why it's listed
Four adjoining cemeteries on the west side of Del Rio, Texas, make up this district of roughly 36 acres: Masonic, Westlawn, Sacred Heart Catholic and St. Joseph's. Three side-by-side gates at the end of the old Cemetery Road, now West Second Street, lead into them. Rows of Italian and Arizona cypress, neither native to the region, are the most distinctive feature. Most markers are simple granite, marble or limestone, though the grounds also hold a limestone crypt, a black-and-white granite crypt resembling a small house, Woodmen of the World markers and ceramic-tile gravestones, many showing the Virgin of Guadalupe. The cemeteries record the town's history. Westlawn grew from land John Perry deeded in 1889 and 1899 and includes older burials moved from downtown sites, as well as areas once segregated by race. Sacred Heart reflects the Catholic, Italian and Mexican communities. The district is listed for the way it shows Del Rio's social development, and all four cemeteries remain in use today.
Significance in brief: The district combines public, religious and fraternal burial grounds that reflect how Del Rio society developed from the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth century. Its distinctive landscaping of rows of Italian and Arizona cypress, its grouped entrance gates and its varied monuments mark it as a notable cemetery landscape. The form also treats the cemeteries as the resting places of people who shaped the town's development, and as records of its ethnic and social divisions.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000664, listed July 11, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by W 2nd St., Johnson Blvd., and St. Peter's St., Del Rio |
|---|---|
| County | Val Verde County |
| Listed | July 11, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000664 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All four cemeteries are active and well-maintained; at least a third of burials in each pre-date 1953. |
| Acreage | 36 |
| Coordinates | 29.36196, -100.91705 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000664.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000245
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.