Founders Memorial Cemetery, also known as Founders Memorial Park, is the oldest cemetery in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 1836, it was originally known as "City Cemetery", and opened in conjunction with the founding of the City of Houston in what is now Fourth Ward near the edge of Downtown Houston. The cemetery is owned and operated by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and is also a public park. The two acre site is a designated "Texas Historic Cemetery" by the Texas Historical Commission, and features many graves from citizens of the Republic of Texas including co-founder of Houston John Kirby Allen and veterans of the Texas Revolution. Consequently, the cemetery contains the second-most Texas Centennial Monuments, behind only the Texas State Cemetery. It lies adjacent to Beth Israel Cemetery, which is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Texas.HistoryThe cemetery opened in 1836 as simply "City Cemetery" to accommodate a growing number of deaths in Houston. The chosen site was considered to be on the outskirts of town. However, by 1840, the cemetery was nearly full. Another city cemetery at the present-day location of Jefferson Davis Hospital was created, and this site eventually became known as "Old City Cemetery" to differentiate it from others. In April 1936, the cemetery was restored by the San Jacinto Centennial Association, and it was officially named "Founders Memorial Park". In 1947, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department began to maintain the cemetery.
