Parsons Cemetery

Haunting even as epitaphs go, this one adorns just one of the thousands of grave markers at Glenwood Cemetery, which yawns from Buffalo Bayou to Washington Avenue. The roughly 85 acres of greenery, hills, ravines, marble, and stone feel transplanted from a bygone era. Its origins date to 1871, when the designation “rural cemetery” made more sense; hard to say what Glenwood’s founders would have made of the postcard-perfect vistas of the gleaming downtown skyline it offers today. The main entrance is marked by two modest obelisks flanking the driveway, each bearing only the word “Glenwood” and the address. Fittingly enough, this history-shy city’s arguably most historic locale does not seem to seek any undue attention. “The people who have been in here love it,” relates Jim Parsons, programs director for Preservation Houston. “People who have never been in [Glenwood] are always surprised that it’s here, because they don’t even think that this exists.” More Information FIVE UNSUNG GLENWOOD RESIDENTSAs told by Preservation Houston’s Jim ParsonsBelle Sherman KendallHer dad was Sidney Sherman, who said ‘Remember the Alamo!’ during the Texas Revolution. There was a library in town but it was a private library, and they wouldn’t allow women to be members. A group of women got together and fought for membership and became members, but it wasn’t an ideal situation. Belle was the president of the Women’s Club of Houston, and she decided that there needed to be a better library that was open to everybody. She wrote to Andrew Carnegie and said ‘Will you fund a...