Greenwood Cemetery was founded in 1903 in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a historic Black cemetery that fell into disrepair after neglectful owners stopped caring for it. In recent years, the local chapter of the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS) has volunteered its time to assist with upkeep. It’s estimated there are at least 800 veterans buried in the cemetery.
The NABVETS are there almost every Saturday helping maintain and improve the cemetery grounds.
If you would like to follow along to see the progress on the cemetery, you can find more info on their two Facebook pages. This one seems a bit more active.
The Caney Fork School, also known as the Maynard Colored School, was completed in 1922. The one-teacher type school was constructed for $2,000. The Rosenwald Fund provided $500, and the local community funded the rest. The school was used until 1933, when the county consolidated all Black schools into one school.
Image from the Rosenwald Database at Fisk University
The Second Baptist Church began in 1855 with over 100 members. As one of two Black churches in Mayslick, it played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad. The current building was constructed in 1913 and remains in use today.
On April 8, 1866, Zion Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia, was established by 88 formerly enslaved individuals who left First Baptist Church to form their own congregation. Rev. Ephraem B. Rucker, Zion’s first pastor, laid the foundation with deacons and Sunday School. Growth continued, and it was determined that the church would build its first physical home in 1888 at the corner of Haynes & Lemon Streets.
Eventually, the church built a much larger building across the street to house its much larger congregation. The church is still active today.
The original building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Charles Duckett (1860-1947) was a prominent businessman in Laurens, South Carolina. He owned multiple businesses, most notable were a funeral home and lumberyard. He was considered one of the most successful Black lumberyard owners in the South. This Eastlake style home is in need of some serious love, though. It was hard to photograph, but a tree has fallen on the left side of the house. There was a fundraiser listed in 2020, but I couldn’t find any other info on future plans.
I don’t remember how I found out about this church, but it’s been on my list for a while to photograph. I finally got the chance to do so this past weekend.
Located in Cherokee County, South Carolina, the Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church is right at the crossroads of Wilkinsville, a town of approximately 700 people. Wilkinsville is southeast of Gaffney. For those unfamiliar with Gaffney, it’s the town with the big peach butt in the sky off of I-85.
Often when I am researching the history of a place that isn’t well known, I am uncovering a lot of details through news articles and, for churches and cemeteries, obituaries. I must commend the research of Tom Taylor at Random Connections. He did a remarkable deep dive into the history of the Wesley ME Church. If you want in-depth research, please head to his site.
In a nutshell, the congregation was formed in 1915. The stone structure was built in the 1940s after a storm damaged the previous building. While the cemetery is still active and well-maintained, the church closed by 1970.
Wesley Chapel Methodist Church Wilkinsville SC Nov 15, 1943 Willie Edward Corry, School Teacher Architect And Builder Directors Levi Garrett, A. C. Corry, James Love, G. Dewey Harris Workers Jossie Love, Ressie Rodgers, Addie Corry Strossie Mae Harris Treasure John Davis, Beatrice Jefferies Secteary Vestor Harris, Ninnie Hambright Geo W. Davis, Emily Davis
Image from the September 1, 1971 photo spread on Wilkinsville in The Gaffney Ledger
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