An historic cemetery in Copper Canyon was the latest victim of the hot and dry conditions, which have sparked multiple grass fires across Denton County.
Crews with Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1 and 2 were dispatched around 1 p.m. Thursday to reports of smoke and flames coming from the area of E. Jernigan Road and Chinn Chapel Road in Copper Canyon.
As crews arrived, they discovered the fire had reached the historic Chinn Chapel Cemetery.
Multiple engines, with assistance from the Highland Village Fire Department, worked to contain the fire to just five acres of pastures and part of the cemetery grounds
According to an update from Chinn Chapel Cemetery, the historic log cabin located on the property was saved, along with all other structures.
Denton County records indicate the log cabin was originally built in 1858 as the original Chinn’s Chapel Methodist Church.
It is believed to be the oldest existing Protestant church in Denton County.
The site was purchased by the family of Elisha and Mary Chinn, who bought it after traveling from Alabama and became part of one of the first large settlements on the prairies.
According to county records, the log cabin served as both a house of worship whenever a preacher arrived and as a temporary residence for newcomers building their own cabins. It also later served as the community’s schoolhouse.
The hardships of the prairie life led to the deaths of some early settlers. Services were held and graves were placed nearby, and the site has been preserved as a cemetery ever since.
It was recognized by the Texas Historical Commission in 1994 when it was given Historical Marker No. 833.
Each year on the third Sunday of May, the Chinn Chapel Cemetery hosts an event honoring Decoration Day, a cultural celebration carried out all over Texas to visit, pay respects and place flowers or other decorations upon graves.
The cemetery is also one of many in southern Denton County that regularly participates in Wreaths Across America.
