Sunday, June 20, 1999
Neglected no more

By CAROLYN CARY
Contributing Writer

Where a tangle of vines and underbrush once obscured the past, new rows of cedar crosses now mark century-old graves believed to be those of former slaves and former slave owners.

Members of Antioch Baptist Church, on Woolsey-Brooks Road near Fayetteville, have spent the past year recovering a grave site that sits on the east side of its property. Several other churches sent workers from time to time, and a month ago the jungle was transformed into an oasis.

“While this site may have been neglected in the past, we felt it necessary to uncover and maintain it,” said the Rev. Dr. Elton Johnson, pastor. In his remarks during a recent ceremony marking rededication of this site, Johnson added, “This is our watch and, as in the past, Antioch Baptist accepts its responsibility.”

Member R. O. Maxwell had a felled cedar tree in his yard and decided to make cedar crosses from it. Another felled cedar was found in south Georgia, hauled back to Fayette County, and he made about 100 crosses between the two trees. These were used to mark the grave sites uncovered, but the church needs at least 75 more to complete the job.

Anyone who knows of a felled cedar tree is asked to call the church at 770-461-8270.

It is believed that at least a part of the newly uncovered site may contain graves of slaves of early church members.

The church is one of the oldest in Fayette County, having been constituted in March 1829. It is fortunate to have all of its original records.

A check of the minutes of March 5, 1829, reveals a listing of the original 19 charter members, including “Milley,” “Ester,” “Paul,” “Peter” and “Jack,” who are listed as colored servants of the Gay and King families. While it is not known just where they are buried, it would seem that perhaps it was somewhere on the church property.

The minutes of August 1868 report that the black members asked to stay with Antioch Baptist until “they can organize a colored church.”

Blacks were members of the church, according to its minutes, until the early 1870s, at which time (July 1871) a number of these members asked for a letter of dismissal, perhaps going into a church of their own.

Antioch Baptist did not dismiss its duty to the community, though, and the minutes of August 1897 stated: “They had measured off ground four by six rods for burrying (sic) ground for colored people.” (This translates into about a half acre).

While the minutes do not state on which side of the church grounds the former slaves were buried, it stands to reason that it was the site recently uncovered. There are only nine marked gravestones, and the death dates begin in 1890 forward, with about 160 unmarked sites.


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