RECENT COMMENTS
Evergreen endures
A summer visit to Evergreen Cemetery reinforces the scale of the effort necessary to reclaim from the forest even a portion of the burial ground.
Dating from 1891, Evergreen Cemetery is the final resting place of notable African-American Richmonders such as Maggie L. Walker, John Mitchell, Jr., and Rev.J.Andrew Bowler. Encompassing maybe 60 acres, the vast majority of the cemetery is all but lost to weed trees, underbrush, and creeping vines. The most recent burials in the historic section of the cemetery date from the 1970s, with a portion of the cemetery still in use for new internments.
A Families and Friends group on Yahoo has been the organizing point for a handful of volunteers that have been working doggedly to clean and maintain portions of the privately-owned cemetery.
Michael Paul Williams Let’s right sad state of cemeteries in today’s RTD revisits Evergreen some 2 1/2 years after the last big media splash and draws a line between the decay of Evergreen and the recent news from Chicago’s Burr Oak Cemetery.
If it weren’t for the fact that the vegatation is of the “weed” variety, this “back to nature” would be an appealing concept, but this stuff is just heartbreaking.
Perhaps someone should try and contact every family who has someone buried there and see if they have any interest in at least maintaining their individual plot.
There are a couple of plots in Evergreen where family members come and try to keep the kudzu from taking over their family’s graves. If you live in the south, you know this is like shoveling against the tide. Another trend I have noticed is that English ivy is covering vast areas of the cemetery formerly in open woods, and once that ivy gets going nobody will ever be able to find anything or even tell that a huge cemetery was once there. I am afraid that Evergreen is a hopeless case – on a variety of levels.
If I might, it would be worthwhile to do a little research and find out the legal obligations. When the city took over these cemetaries, were there requirements for maintenance, or does that responsbility lie with the owners of the plots? If the city is legally responsible, then the Jones Administration neds to step up. If not, then the families need to step up. I look at these properties, redolent with the Afircan American history of the city, at the same time we have the posts about the Slave Burial Grounds, and I wonder whether we should take on new responsibilities when the community as a whole has not accepted responsibility for Oakwood and Evergreen. Great respect to those volunteers who have come forward.
Evergreen is a privately owned cemetery.
Same applies. What are legal requirements of the owners for maintenance, and how can they be met?
The legal status of Evergreen is pretty murky. One individual is cited as the current owner after a series of associations and partnerships with black funeral home directors in town. I imagine that if he can just pull it off without too much attention the current owner will sell out that open area still used and just walk away from the whole mess. Except for some occasional bush hogging (that immediately runs over those temporary grave markers and scatters the letters and numbers) whoever this person is has done damn little to maintain the place.
Michael Paul Williams had a piece about this cemetery August 1 in the Times-Disgrace, complete with a video of him peering into the vandalized mausoleum with the open coffins hanging out of it. Very bad stuff.
It is bad, and it is disrespectful. Contrast this “privately owned” cemetary with the history African American cemetary off, I believe, Maury Street in Southside maintained by the Department of Parks.
On Evergreen, what would happen if the city cited the owner for failure to maintain? Wpould he abandon the property? than who is responsible. Certainly not the city, since it is private property.
I am afraid that Evergreen has got so far out of control that the city itself couldn’t clean it even if it were deeded over to them. Between the 60 year’s growth of trees and vines and the fragile nature of the grave markers (many of which are weathered marble) there is just no way to do this.
Evergreen Cemetery, to the shame of Richmond, is a total loss.
The city should NOT accept this property, under any circumstances, unless it comes cleaned up and with a trust fund for its maintenance.
I am one of the volunteers that spends time at Evergreen most weekends. If you go out and look at the whole place it is daunting but we look at it a plot a time and celebrate little victories. We have cleared about half an acre so far. It is all done with mostly hand labor. The only power equipment being a weed eater and a chainsaw.
I hope our work is not futile. It is discouraging at times especially when we come out to work and trash has been dumped by the gate which we have to move before we can even get in. I think with a sustained large group of volunteers it can be cleared. If anyone is interested in helping please contact me at jshuck@rocketmail.com
There are a few of us planning to work at the cemetery tomorrow morning, 9/26. If anyone is interested in helping, please contact me for details at jshuck@rocketmail.com.
John
There are a few of us planning to work at the cemetery tomorrow morning, 10/24. If anyone is interested in helping, please contact me for details at jshuck@rocketmail.com.
John