Glenwood Cemetery

03/03/2026

The Great Egret is a large white wading bird commonly found in wetlands and along shorelines. During breeding season, it develops a bright green patch between the eye and bill and grows long, delicate plumes along its back.

In the late 1800s, those plumes were highly sought after in the fashion industry, and the species was hunted nearly to extinction as feathers were once sold for more than gold by weight. Conservation protections helped the population recover.

Great Egrets migrate each year, and we typically see them from spring through fall. While they often spend much of their time alone, breeding season brings them together in large nesting groups called rookeries, sometimes shared with other egrets, herons, and other wading birds.

03/02/2026

Texas Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. This vital document, signed by 59 delegates, marked the official declaration of independence from Mexico by the settlers in Mexican Texas, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Texas. To honor this day, we would like to recognize some notable veterans buried at Glenwood who played crucial roles in Texas's fight for independence.

03/01/2026

February brought sunshine and a hint of spring to Glenwood ☀️🌿

From warm afternoons on the grounds to beautiful golden hours, this month felt like a preview of what’s ahead. On to March 🤍✨

02/22/2026

On National Wildlife Day, we celebrate the landscapes, habitats, and quiet moments that make Glenwood so unique. We’re grateful to steward a space where nature continues to thrive. 💚

02/19/2026

A most beautiful City of the Dead

In 1883, Houston's Glenwood Cemetery was still a young landscape, but it was already earning extraordinary praise. The Houston Post wrote that no city in the South or Southwest could boast a cemetery so beautiful.

Planned, improved, and carefully maintained, Glenwood was compared to the nation's great rural cemeteries and celebrated for its stately trees, flowering grounds, and picturesque setting. This article marked the first time Glenwood was described as "a most beautiful City of the Dead," a phrase that captured its emerging identity as both a place of burial and a cultural landscape.

02/17/2026

Upcoming Tour🌿

This two-hour, docent-guided walking tour led by focuses on the lives and legacies of some of Glenwood’s most notable women, whose influence stretches from the suffrage movement to the silver screen.

Featured figures include Charlotte Allen, wife of Houston co-founder Augustus Allen; suffragists Annette Finnigan and Florence Sterling; publisher and stateswoman Oveta Culp Hobby, who led the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II; and movie star Gene Tierney.

Together, their stories offer a powerful lens on how women helped shape Houston’s civic, cultural, and political life.

📅 Saturday, February 28th | 10 AM - 12 PM
📍 Glenwood Cemetery
🔗 Register: https://www.preservationhouston.org

02/16/2026

02/15/2026

🌿✨🌷🦆🤍

02/14/2026

This Valentine's Day, we honor the remarkable love story of Walter Benona Sharp (1870–1912) and Estelle Boughton Sharp (1873–1965) at Glenwood Cemetery. Their family plot, designed by landscape architect Ruth London, features elegant marble Doric columns and embodies the charm of the Country Place Era in American landscape design.

At the center, the bronze sculpture "Roses of Yesterday" by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth captures a woman holding roses beside a sundial inscribed with "Perennis Amor," meaning "Love is forever."

Walter was a pioneering Texas oilman who co-founded the Sharp-Hughes Tool Company and invented the revolutionary rock bit. Although he passed away at just 42, Estelle carried on his legacy as a civic leader and social reformer. She co-founded United Charities of Houston, advocated for women's suffrage, and supported , where she endowed its first lectureship in civics and philanthropy.

Together, the Sharps exemplify how love inspires innovation, generosity, and a commitment to a better future.

❤️ Perennis Amor ❤️



Citation:

“Sharp, Estelle Boughton (1873-1965),” Jane Addams Digital Edition, accessed December 23, 2025, digital.janeaddams.ramapo.edu/items/show/3743.

02/11/2026

Carpenter bees may look intimidating, but they’re gentle pollinators and this one is clearly a fan of snapdragons. 🐝

02/09/2026

A poignant symbol of love within funerary art is found in the language of flowers, beautifully illustrated by the treestone honoring Alabama-born Alexander Sessums (1830–1873) and his wife, Mary Runnels (1835–1884). This intricately decorated oak tree trunk, adorned with natural bark, ivy, oak leaves, morning glories, lilies, and ferns, beautifully represents their enduring bond.

In floral symbolism, morning glories signify resurrection, while evergreen ivy represents immortality and fidelity. The ivy's embrace around the trunk reflects their undying love.

Garlands of roses honor Mary, while oak leaves and acorns celebrate Alexander. New branches symbolize their son, David, representing the continuation of their family legacy. Each marker is carved like a small log, with Mary's inscribed with the words, "Take up the cross early and follow me." This serene resting place stands as a lasting testament to their love and enduring bonds.

02/06/2026

✨ Honor a Loved One & Support Glenwood Cemetery ✨

Leave a lasting tribute with a personalized engraved brick, beautifully placed near the Center for Glenwood entrance.

When the original front entrance columns were dismantled, the historic bricks (circa 1897) were carefully salvaged offering a rare chance to be part of Glenwood’s rich history.

🕊️ Visit our website or check the Link in Bio to order your brick, or call our office to learn how you can join Glenwood’s 155-year legacy.