New Chapel Hill

New Chapel Hill (often referred to as Chapel Hill) is located on State Highway 64 about eight miles southeast of Tyler in central Smith County. Settlement began in this region by the late 1800s, and Texas poet Therese Kayser Lindsey was born here in 1870. Bascom School to the west of this farming area and Maggie Murph School to the east operated in the first part of the twentieth century. A Chapel Hill School also operated approximately ten miles east of Tyler. In 1945 the community of Chapel Hill came into existence when the Bascom and Murph school districts and others consolidated. Reportedly named for a church and cemetery located on a higher elevation of land, Chapel Hill included a new school as part of the Chapel Hill Independent School District, a Baptist church, and farms. In 1968 the Chapel Hill community incorporated as New Chapel Hill. By 1980 the town had a population of 618. That figure fell to 439 but by 2000 had increased to 553. New Chapel Hill has a mayor but no council, and the town includes businesses, a school, and residences.

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Laurie E. Jasinski | © TSHA

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Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Belongs to

New Chapel Hill is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

New Chapel Hill is classified as a Town

Location

Latitude: 32.30040210
Longitude: -95.16703300

Has Post Office

No

Is Incorporated

Yes

Population Count, 2021 View more »

626