Center
for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science
Department of Geography «» The University of Georgia
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Bethlehem Cemetery Restoration Project Hidden the woods behind Clarke Middle School is a portal to another time. Concealed by vines and brambles, the Bethlehem Cemetery is an African American cemetery which was used primarily from the 1880s to the 1990s. Those who were laid to rest here mostly lived in the Brooklyn/Hawthorne area of Athens. Many of their descendents have attended Clarke Middle over the years and some of them had no idea that their relatives were buried so close to our school. Nature and time have laid claim to much of the cemetery; some tombstones have fallen and are covered with ivy, other graves are completely unmarked. One wonders who all these people were, what stories and perspectives they might offer us today. Recently, however, there has been a renewed interest in the cemetery. Last MLK Day over 70 volunteers turned out to begin the difficult job of reclaiming and carefully restoring the site, removing rusted barbed wire, trash, fallen trees, and truck-loads of debris. A new Beechwood Hills neighbor, Meriwether Rhodes, has taken a great interest in the cemetery, not only in clearing the overgrowth, but in cataloging the names on those graves which are marked. So far she has added 63 names to a list of 198 which had been compiled by the Athens Historical Society in the 1990s. Over 40 graves are marked by veterans’ tombstones, black Americans who fought overseas for their country in WWI, WWII, and Korea, and returned to a segregated South. Former CMS student Roark Bailey completed his Eagle Project for scouting highest rank by mapping many of the gravesite using GPS technology. Boy Scout Troop 1111 is interested in continuing this work - surveying, cataloging data, and building a website to share this information with relatives and the community. Rev. Abraham Mosley of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church also serves of the cemetery committee. Many of the members of his church are excited about efforts to restore the burial place of their ancestors so they can visit gravesites and pay respects to loved ones. Mr. Scott and several other CMS teachers are excited about the educational possibilities of the cemetery. Perhaps students would be more interested in history, culture, writing, and the value of research if they could see its application and relevance in their lives and community. Towards that end an event has been scheduled for Saturday, November 11, 2006. The committee hopes we can get a big turn out from CMS, local churches and businesses to support efforts to honor and restore the cemetery. We hope to begin with a work day at 10 a.m. clearing designated areas, followed by a cookout and recognition ceremony at 1 p.m. This would be a great time to begin recording and filming stories from relatives and members of the community to post on our Bethlehem Cemetery website. Please email Mr. Scott (scottk@clarke.k12.ga.us) if you are interested in attending or supporting this event. Karl Scott, CMS, 7th Grade Science Teacher |