Goals and Objectives
In 1882 this cemetery was founded by Gospel Pilgrim Society. It was located at 530 Fourth Street, which is currently adjacent to Springfield Baptist Church.
1980s Michael Thurmond, and other community leaders worked tirelessly to secure care for the cemetery. The sacred ground was suffering from neglect after the last member of the Gospel Pilgrim Society died in the 1970s.
In January 2002 a massive Martin Luther King, Jr. Day cleanup was organized at the cemetery. Over 30 tons of trash and debris was removed from the site. The clean-up rekindled community efforts to restore and preserve the site. A collaborative effort led by East Athens Development Corporation, Inc. started to secure funds for the restoration project and determine land ownership.
In November 2002 a grant from the Georgia Department of Labor was secured to begin revitalizing the cemetery. The stakeholders involved in this effort to date are: Citizens of Athens, families of the deceased, GA Department of Labor, Athens-Clarke County Government Corporation, and University of Georgia Department of Horticulture and the students from the UGA Landscape and Horticulture Clubs.
In January 2003 the groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of the restoration project with work continuing to this day.
Our goals are to:
- Create a clean, beautiful, safe, and accessible cemetery
- Create an updated survey and register of existing plots
- Obtain National Historic Preservation Designation
- Inclusion in Athens-Clarke Tour Guide
- Community pride and support in East Athens
- Continued neighborhood revitalization
- Jobs for community residents
- Secure continued revenue streams for perpetual care
Maintenance & Repair of Burial Plots:
- Every element of a grave is significant. No element should be removed.
- Grass and brush should be trimmed by hand whenever possible to prevent damage to fragile gravestones. The use of power mowers and weed trimmers near graves is not recommended.
- Avoid using pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Acidic chemicals can deteriorate limestone, sandstone, and marble, while alkaline chemicals can deteriorate granite.
- Vegetation that keeps stones and walls damp or is causing damage should be cut back or removed.
- Gravestones and monuments should not be relocated or rearranged except in exceptional circumstances.
- Re-inscription of gravestones or monuments is strongly discouraged.
- Damaged gravestones and monuments should be repaired rather than replaced. Only qualified conservators or masonry artists should repair historic markers. It is encouraged that the maintenance and preservation staff of the cemetery receive this training.
- If a monument needs to be reset, as in cases were the monument is leaning or fallen, this should be undertaken by qualified personnel.
- If stone or brick needs repointing, new mortar should duplicate the historic mortar in color, texture, and strength. In most cases a mortar with a high Portland cement content will damage historic bricks or stone.
- Stone fragments are important and should be saved. It is acceptable to re-bury a documented stone fragment where it was found if a safe and dry storage area is not available.
- Use the gentlest means possible when cleaning gravestones and monuments. Avoid acidic cleaning solutions or solutions containing chlorine bleach.
- Polishing, pressure washing, or sandblasting gravestones and monuments is strongly discouraged.
- If graffiti is found on monuments, copings, retaining walls, etc., it will need to be cleaned. Either remove sensitively or leave the paint in place.
Survey & Documentation: It is vitally important that the cemetery’s existing conditions are documented before any preservation work begins.
- An initial survey should be conducted systematically by section A through S.
- Each grave space should be photographed and documented.
- Existing conditions of the hardscape (marker, coping, fencing) and landscape should be listed, as well as any necessary repairs.
- Family contact information should also be collected at this time and included on each form. Please use archival quality paper for the forms.
- All survey forms should be duplicated and stored in archival boxes. Original forms should be kept on site and stored in fireproof boxes at least six inches off of the ground. Duplicate records should be given to a publicly-accessible organization, such as a historical society or the local library. Therefore, records are more likely to be kept safe from disaster and be available to the public for research.
- Any burials, repairs, or landscaping completed by family, the organization, or volunteers should be noted on the survey form.
- The survey should be updated at least every ten years.
- Obituaries and burial permits for those buried at Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery should be collected and kept together at both the cemetery or its organization’s office, with duplicates at the selected public institution. Again, storage in archival boxes is suggested.
Landscape Master Plan:
- With the award of the matching grant from the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program of the Georgia Forestry Commission a Landscape Master Plan needs to be prepared in 2004.
- The deadline established by the Georgia Forestry Commission for this Landscape Master Plan is August, 2004 - This is a matching grant. To receive the full $10,000 dollars of the grant, $10,000 must be raised with non-federal funds, which can be cash or in-kind contributions.
- A professional Landscape Architecture firm should prepare this master plan.
- A licensed arborist should assist with the tree survey to properly assess the conditions of the trees found in the green space.
- This grant is for gendarmes, therefore substantial building on the site should not be recommended by the master plan.
Select here to download the Master Plan to Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery pdf file as prepared by the Jaeger Group.