This Houston cemetery is in a shopping mall parking lot

When most people think of a cemetery, they think of well-marked headstones nestled in a lush expanse of well-manicured lawn. There are usually flowers, sometimes a crypt and religious iconography. However, sprawling urbanization can leave a once-peaceful family cemetery in an unusual location.

This is the special fate of Hillendahl Cemetery, in the Spring Branch area of ​​Houston. This historic lot, located at 8325 Long Point Road, at the corner of Long Point and Pech Road, is nestled in a shopping center parking lot and surrounded by a chain link fence. The cemetery shares the parking lot with Absolute Automotive, a brightly colored food truck and a Twice the Ice kiosk.

Despite its very urban setting, the Texas Historical Commission, an organization dedicated to recording and protecting the state’s historic burial sites, has designated the cemetery as a Texas Historic Cemetery.

Finding a cemetery in a busy parking lot is undoubtedly one of Houston’s most unusual sights, but it makes waiting for an oil change or snack a little more interesting.

When Houston was mostly rich farmland cradled by bayous and creeks, settlers flocked to Galveston Harbor. Among them, Wilhelm Heinrich August Hillendahl, a German immigrant, was part of one of the first families to settle in Spring Branch. In 1851, land cost about $2 an acre, and Hillendahl and his wife Elizabeth purchased 80 acres for their farm. He played such a role in the development of the area, founding its first post office and St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, that from 1885 to 1912 the area was known as Hillendahl.

Eventually the land was passed to Wilhelm Hillendahl’s children, who sold their plots when taxes became too high. The last remaining Hillendahls finally gave way to urbanization in the 1960s, and the only part of the Hillendahl land that remains intact is the cemetery.

The cemetery is the final resting place of 19 Hillendahl. The German farmer’s first wife, Elizabeth, was the first to be buried there just three years after settling in Spring Branch. Hillendahl and his second wife, Maria, are also buried there, along with other members of their family.

According to Harris Central Appraisal District records from 2024, the cemetery is owned by “Hillendahl Cemetery”. The 1,307 square foot lot is tax exempt and classified as vacant land. Arnold Hillendahl Sr., son of Wilhelm and Elizabeth, had the land designated as a cemetery with the city, county and state, protecting it from removal.

If you’re planning a visit to the historic Hillendahl Cemetery, there are a few things to keep in mind. The parking lot is usually full and busy during business hours, so it’s best to park near Long Point Road to avoid disrupting regular traffic. The cemetery, surrounded by a wire fence, has a gate that is always open, allowing easy access.

Many tombstones have been worn by weather and time; while some remain legible, many inscriptions are difficult to read. Newer tombs have metal plaques, making it easier to read details about the people buried there. Be careful when walking around the area; the plots are bordered by white stone, friable and unstable in many places.