National Register of Historic Places

Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds

Mexia, Limestone County, Texas
Listed
April 1, 1976
Type
Site
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
76002048

About this property

Confederate Reunion Grounds is a Texas historic site located near Mexia, Limestone County, Texas at the confluence of the Navasota River and Jack's Creek. From 1889 to 1946, Confederate Civil War veterans and families reunited at the site during late-July or early-August, camping under the giant bur oaks, enjoying speeches, concerts, dances, fellowship and food, and raising funds for families of deceased soldiers. Today, Confederate Reunion Grounds is operated by the Texas Historical Commission and is open to the public. Historic architectural attractions include the 1893 dance pavilion, entrance marker and iron archway, 1920s pump house, ruins of Miss Mamie Kennedy's “Delight House,” Colonel Humphrey's Arch and Spring, rock and concrete barbecue pits, and rock chimneys, ponds, fountains, cisterns and wells throughout the site. A Civil War-era cannon, “Old Val Verde,” is exhibited beneath the flagpoles at the center of the site near the intersection of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson Avenues. The cannon's history includes action for both Union and Confederate forces. Picnic areas and walking trails, including a remnant of the brick “Old Coolidge–Reunion Grounds” Road, are available to visitors. Native vegetation and flora at the site provide shelter and home to an abundance of wildlife. The site is locally known for its fishing and also provides a kayak and canoe link to the Fort Parker State Park Lake along the Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail.

Location

Mexia, Limestone County, Texas
31.63393, -96.56107

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Booker T. Washington Emancipation Proclamation Park
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2.7 mi
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Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad Depot and Office Building
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House at 1301 East Marvin
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26.7 mi
Coleman-Cole House
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Questions about this property

When was Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds listed on the National Register?

Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds?

Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds?

The period of significance for Johnston, Joseph E., Confederate Reunion Grounds is recorded as the civil_war era.

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