After approximately 20 years or more of brush arbor meetings, the church congregation was ready to purchase land to build a physical church structure. In 1885, Trustees of the church purchased land for the St. Paul Baptist Church from T.E. Sherley, youngest son of Lewis Sherley. After the church building was established, the church next went on to purchase land for a cemetery to serve the church. In 1888, Peter Clayton, Andrew Wilson, Rice Johnson, Nathaniel King, Ed Bynum, and W.A. Sanders, Trustees of Cemetery of Saint Paul’s Colored Church of Melissa, Texas purchased 2 acres from T.E. Sherley for $45.

Three marked identifiable grave markers in St. Paul Cemetery predate its 1888 founding. The oldest marked identifiable graves in the cemetery are those of the founder of the church, Jefferson Sherley (1811-1881), his wife, Kisiah Sherley (died Nov 1873 at 58 years), and Tarlton Gray (1844 -1881). They are all near the northern border of the cemetery in the north east quadrant. These 3 marked graves predate the purchase of the land for the church as well as the cemetery. The oldest grave marker after the organization of the St. Paul Cemetery, is a child, Joe Elwood Johnson, born October 29, 1889 and died June 18th 1891.

On April 13, 1921 a powerful tornado devastated Melissa. Many people were killed or injured, and many structures were destroyed, including St. Paul Baptist Church and adjacent school house, many businesses and homes. This event was a catastrophic loss for the entire community, however the Black community was hit especially hard. As one article described the losses the day after the storm, “In the negro section of the town the destruction seemed to be practically complete. The church, school house and seven residences were destroyed.” There is only one visible grave marker present today at St. Paul Cemetery with the tornado death date inscribed on the headstone, Lizzie Perry (March 13, 1863-April 13, 1921). Newspaper articles and the church’s history narrative, corroborated by death certificates, point to numerous other tornado victim burials at St. Paul, but no visible markers are present. The graves of Adeline Taylor Hawkins (Feb. 1837-April 13, 1921); Lou Bomar Hawkins (April 2, 1877- April 13, 1921); Henry Thomas Morgan (Dec. 8, 1914-April 13, 1921); Florence Thomas (1911-1921); among others, are most likely unmarked or their grave markers are no longer visible.

Some of the founders and influential members of the St. Paul Baptist Church buried throughout the cemetery include: Curry Bynum (1888-1944) deacon of St. Paul Baptist Church and the first president of BTV Baptist Training Union; Glen Carter (1907-1980) Deacon and Superintendent of Sunday school and his wife, Kacy Carter (1908-1988) Secretary of Sunday school; Jeff S. Clayton (1872-1936) Deacon, Board of Trustees, First Superintendent of Sunday school and influential in rebuilding the church in 1921; Cecil Jack Crockett (1917-1982) Assistant Superintendent of Sunday School, Board of Trustees and prominent member of the Melissa community; Charlie Crockett (1870-1951) Deacon and Board of Trustees; George D. “Shorty” Crockett (1924-1994) Treasurer of the Church; Josephine Morgan Crockett (1916-1979) Secretary of the Church; Ed Frazier (1880 – 1953) Deacon, Board of Trustees; JT Hawkins (1867-1936) Deacon and Board of Trustees; Martha A Clayton Hawkins (1874 – unknown) First Treasurer of Missionary Society; Bob Johnson (unknown – April 25, 1911) Trustee; Minnie Lee Thomas Morgan (April 16, 1886 – Sept 30, 1961) First Pianist; Lizzie Perry (1863-1921) Vice President of Missionary Society, First President of Choir and 1921 tornado victim; Will Perry (1894-1971) Board of Trustees; and Scott M. Thomas (1871-1946) Deacon, Board of Trustees, First President of Choir.