Dawson-Lunnon Cemetery

Dawson-Lunnon Cemetery was established in 1870 when Mike Lunnon, a freedman born into slavery in 1830, purchased seven and one-half acres on Kemp Street in Houston's East End for $200. Lunnon later expanded the property by purchasing eleven additional acres in 1891. In 1914, Lunnon's oldest son, Dawson, transferred part of the tract to Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church. The cemetery served the thriving East End community, which grew with cotton, the Ship Channel, railroads, and refineries, until integration caused the community to disperse. The cemetery fell into disrepair and obscurity until researcher Virginia Hancock brought attention to its historical significance. The Texas Historical Commission certified it as a Historic Texas Cemetery in 2009. Thirty-five gravesites have been identified, with eleven visible stone markers; the most recent known burial is from 1953. Volunteer efforts beginning in 2012 cleaned and restored the site, and a Friends of the Cemetery association was established in 2013.