Pioneers Rest Cemetery
Established in 1850, just one year after Fort Worth was founded, Pioneers Rest Cemetery is the city's oldest cemetery and one of its most treasured historic landmarks. Perched above the meeting of the Clear and West Forks of the Trinity River, it became the final resting place for soldiers from the frontier fort, pioneering families, civic leaders, veterans, and generations of Fort Worth residents. Today, this seven-acre cemetery preserves not only remarkable monuments and historic grave markers, but also the stories of the people whose lives helped shape our city. Designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021, Pioneers Rest continues to honor Fort Worth's past while welcoming visitors to explore its history, discover its people, and experience the legacy they left behind.
Whether you're walking the peaceful grounds of Pioneers Rest Cemetery or visiting from across the country, this page is your gateway to discovering the people who helped shape Fort Worth's history.
Throughout the cemetery, you'll find QR codes on selected monuments that connect you to the stories, photographs, and historical information preserved here. Can't visit in person? You can still explore these remarkable lives from wherever you are by browsing the burials and featured stories below.
Every name has a story. Every monument preserves a piece of Fort Worth's past. We invite you to explore, discover, and remember.
Explore From Anywhere
Links to Burials at Pioneers Rest
Map and Historic Burial Index
View Layout of the Cemetery and Access a Comprehensive Searchable Burial Listing Spreadsheet
The Sexton's Cottage
also known as a tool house, was constructed around 1922. The Greene family is cited as contributing to the construction of the structure. The wood-framed stucco-covered building was designed in the Classical Revival style and features a front gabled roof and unadorned pediment. A hood over the door also features a Greek key design and is supported by scrolled brackets. Curving cast stone balustrades extend from its north and south sides.
For over 50 years, the Sexton’s cottage was the only tool house on the property, until the addition for a larger green structure near the southwest corner of the cemetery in the 1980’s.