The National Trust for Historic Preservation has awarded $50,000 to Berry College for the assessment and preservation of two historically African American cemeteries on its campus.
The cemeteries are all that remain of the Reconstruction-era Freemantown and Shelton Family settlements founded by formerly enslaved people in Mount Berry, Georgia from 1870 to the 1920s. The sites are part of Berry’s Mountain Campus. Funding will support site surveys, condition assessments, and the development of a comprehensive preservation plan to protect these sacred spaces.
Jennifer Dickey, Kennesaw State University professor of history and campus preservationist, is Berry’s preservation consultant and an alum.
“I am excited that we have received support from the National Trust for Historic Preservation African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to support our documentation and preservation efforts of these two historic resources on the Berry College campus. The additional documentation generated by the assessments and surveys and the ensuing preservation report will guide Berry's preservation and interpretation efforts going forward,” Dickey said.
The two African American cemeteries, established in the late 19th century, predate the establishment of the Berry Schools (1902). Those settlements, which were located within a mile of each other, began to disperse during the 1910s and 1920s. At that time, the Berry Schools (now Berry College) was expanding its operations in the area and began acquiring the land occupied by the descendants of the founders of the settlements, Dickey said. By 1926, the last remaining family members had sold their land and migrated either into the city of Rome or faraway urban areas as part of the Great Migration.
The scope of work includes a condition assessment, both above and below ground, the latter being a ground-penetrating-radar survey (GPR), which will enable the project team to determine the condition of the burials, the true number of burials, the boundaries of the cemeteries, and the preparation of a cemetery preservation plan.
The National Grant Program is a signature initiative of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This year, $3 million in grants will support 24 sites across the country that represent Black American joy, resilience, innovation, and activism, according to the news release.
“At the Action Fund, we believe everyone can be a preservationist. Through our partnership with the Mellon Foundation, the Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative represents this enduring commitment to help grassroots communities and families share their stories of resilience and power,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and senior vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Grants that support the physical preservation and management of these incredible places are crucial to keeping our nation’s history alive.”
The National Grant Program overall is also made possible through support from the Ford Foundation and the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation.
