Thanks to the support of our members and the dedication of our volunteers, Save Austin’s Cemeteries has accomplished great things in the past year! Here are some highlights of 2011 activities and accomplishments:
Educational Events
- April 2, 2011: Hosted a ‘how-to’ session on documenting historic
cemeteries at Oakwood Cemetery for the Texas Historical
Commission’s annual conference
- April 30, 2011: Abner Cook, His Clients and the Homes He Built
walking tour
- September 25, 2011: Austin Museum Day at Oakwood Cemetery
- October 29, 2011: 5th Annual Murder, Mayhem & Misadventure
Walking Tour
- Private educational tours and presentations for schools, scout
troops, and non-profit groups on specialized topics by request
- Quarterly SAC meetings with guest speakers:
- January 8, 2011: Dale Flatt on “Mapping Plummers Cemetery”
- April 9, 2011: Phoebe Allen on “Robertson/Townsend/Thomson
Families” and Danny Camacho on those families’ white marble
lot at Oakwood
- June 25, 2011: Wayne Bell, FAIA, on “First Lady of Texas:
Miss Ima Hogg”
- July 9, 2011: Phil Baum on Jewish Death and Burial Customs
Preservation Activities
- Plot and gravestone documentation sessions are held every 1st
Saturday (weather permitting). This documentation helps track
the condition of cemetery features, and also helps us help the
families who own the cemetery plots.
- March 5, 2011: Austin Parks Foundation: It’s My Park Day at
Plummers Cemetery and Givens Park to pick up trash and remove
invasive vegetation.
- Oakwood Cemetery Chapel Rehabilitation Project: SAC teamed up
with Heimsath Architects on a Feasibility Study; had a public
meeting on July 19, 2011.
Outreach
- SAC helped publicize public meetings held by the City of
Austin’s Parks & Recreation Department for the Cemetery Contract
Restatement and the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel Rehabilitation
Project through SAC email list and Facebook page.
- Holding a photograph contest where the public votes on its
favorite photos, which are compiled into a calendar. The purpose
of the contest and calendar is to increase public awareness and
appreciation of the artistic and cultural value of Austin’s city
cemeteries.