A SURVEY OF ABANDONED
CEMETERIES
A Worthy Project for Tar Heel Junior Historians
MANY SITES ARE ALMOST FORGOTTEN
In 1977, a Committee for the Study of Abandoned Ceme¬
teries in North Carolina was formed by the General Assembly. At
that time, seven counties were selected for an intensive survey of
the number, location, ownership, and condition of abandoned
cemeteries. The counties selected were Lenoir, Halifax, Ruther¬
ford, Moore, Hyde, Guilford, and Madison.
Due to popular demand, the state committee has expanded
the survey to include all interested counties. To be included, a
county must have a coordinating committee and a county coordi¬
nator to insure that a complete and accurate survey is made. Each
local survey must be conducted in cooperation with local govern¬
ment officials; historical, genealogical, patriotic, and service or¬
ganisations; and citizens of all ages who are interested in the
preservation of the memory of those interred therein. For each
county, the state committee will provide essential supplies for the
survey and such instructional help as can be arranged through a
state coordinator.
Ail surveys must be conducted so that the full and complete
results of the survey may be known not later than the fallof 1 980.
The results of the survey will be used to recommend to the Gen¬
eral Assembly measures that should be taken to preserve and pro¬
tect the thousands of local and family Cemeteries throughout the
state. The state committee will report its findings to the 1981
session of the General Assembly.
Presently, there are active county cemetery survey commit¬
tees in Alleghany, Carteret, Halifax, Hyde, Iredell, Moore, Ran¬
dolph, Rutherford, Stanly, and Yancey counties. Durham, Ala¬
mance. Guilford, Madison, Lenoir, Sampson, Wake, and Colum¬
bus counties are expected to soon have theirs.
Members of the state committee are: Rep. Gordon H. Green¬
wood, Black Mountain; William C. Reeves, Wcaverville; Phillip I.
Ellen, Southern Pines; Lucy Greenwood Miller, Hendersonville;
Ruth Allen, Henderson; Mrs. Newman A- Townsend, Jr., Raleigh
Carson C. Foard, Asheville; Mrs. Henry E. Kendall, Raleigh; Mrs.
Robert M. Leary, Raleigh; Neill
Л.
Jennings, $r., Greensboro;
Clyde M- Norton, Old Fort; Dr. Lloyd Bailey, Durham; Max
Bauguess, Purlear; Marvin 1. Davis, Jr., Elm City; and frank D.
Gatton, Raleigh.
Persons and organizations interested in participating in the
study are requested to contact Michelle F. hawing in the Depart¬
ment of Cultural Resources, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC,
27611. By telephone she may be reached during the morning
hours at (919) 733-3068. □
