Descendants of Olivewood

Nestled against a bend of White Oak Bayou, and surrounded by rich Houston history, lies Olivewood Cemetery, the city’s first incorporated African American cemetery. For years it remained a jungle – the headstones buried under massive carpets of vegetation while only the larger mortuary architecture rose above the undergrowth hinting at Olivewood’s location. Extending over an estimated 8 acres, only the front quarter of the cemetery had been successfully cleared of the seemingly endless foliage. As more acreage of the cemetery receives regular maintenance and care, we will be pursuing a program of plot and walkway beautification. Time, nature and vandalism have taken a toll on the historic headstones of Olivewood. Their restoration is of primary importance to us. While we improve the grounds, we will be working to raise the funds necessary to professionally restore these artifacts of Houston’s history. Descendants of Olivewood, Inc. is dedicated to the reclamation of this cemetery for the benefit of present and future generations of Houston, Texas. We are committed to restoring, preserving, and maintaining Olivewood Cemetery as a historic, educational, charitable, religious, and cultural site of importance.

Website

https://www.descendantsofolivewood.org/

External link for Descendants of Olivewood

Industry

Historical Sites

Company size

2-10 employees

Headquarters

Houston, Texas

Type

Nonprofit

Founded

1875