‘Try to preserve their resting place’: Central Georgia historians tackle cemetery restoration

MACON, Ga. — The Peach State is filled with historical past, and one Central Georgia group needs to unearth extra of it.

Edwin Atkins leads the Pals of Pink Hill Cemetery, a gaggle of Central Georgia historians attempting to revive lots of of unmarked jail graves. 

Nearly all of the graves belong to prisoners from the previous state jail, the place Atkins’ great-grandfather was the chaplain. He noticed 144 executions, Atkins says, and buried every a type of prisoners with a Cherokee rose marking the spot.

Now, these roses present clues to Atkins’ restoration group. Diggers have discovered grave markers close to among the bushes.

“We’re discovering plates which are all damaged up,” Atkins stated. “That is the problem.”

Atkins says there could possibly be virtually 2,000 individuals buried on the web site.

“On this piece, it says 1,500. Within the survey by the Southeast Archaeological Service, it is 650 to 700. And in one other publication it stated 2,000,” Atkins stated.

He and his group have found about 650 graves. Their mission is guided by cadaver canines Felon, Talon and Parker, steel detectors and Cherokee rose bushes.

They need to doc as many graves as they’ll, however one other group member, Mary Esther Smith, says it is also about honoring individuals’s lives.

“He was executed,” Smith stated, pointing to a everlasting gravestone. “I stated all we are able to do now could be simply attempt to protect their resting place.”

The Pals of Pink Hill Cemetery are out working to clear brush, tag potential gravesites and analysis almost each weekend.

If you would like to get entangled, you possibly can be a part of their Fb group.

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