ROCKWALL, TX (May 11, 2026) The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club and the Rockwall County Historical Commission have been diligently working, with support from the Texas Historical Commission, for four years in order to designate a local cemetery as a Texas Historical Landmark.
Originally known as Gardenhire Cemetery, the efforts of Rockwall Breakfast Rotary’s committee, chaired by Tommy White, located the original deed and found that the legal name of the cemetery is Memorial Park. It is located at 1307 Spring Creek Dr. in the Ridge Road residential subdivision and is owned and maintained by the City of Rockwall.
Memorial Park Cemetery is very special and unique in that the majority of the ones who have been identified as buried there are World War I and World War II African American veterans. Some of the graves of others buried there date from 1892.
May 6, 2026 brought to completion all the hours and days that were dedicated to research and interviews conducted to determine the correct information concerning these men and women buried in Memorial Park. David Gravelle, with the Texas Historical Commission attended and emphasized the importance of detail and eliminating any myths to ensure that the completed project is the truth and is accurate history.
The dedication event was attended well with many local residents, City of Rockwall and Rockwall County officials, and members of New Caldonia Baptist Church. The Gene Burton Academy Marine ROTC provided the color guard to begin the ceremony and Keron Jackson brought the group together as he sang the National Anthem.
Rockwall Breakfast Rotary is proud to have accomplished this project in providing an official Texas Historical Landmark to honor the dear ones from our community’s past who are buried in Memorial Park.
Press release and photos submitted by John Adams, Rockwall Breakfast Rotary.
Rockwall’s Historic African American Veterans Cemetery Receives State Recognition After Four-Year Effort added by Editor on
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