Tag Archives: Eldren Bailey

-Georgia, Black History, Vernacular Headstones

Historic Piney Grove Cemetery Hidden in Atlanta‘s Buckhead

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Piney Grove Cemetery is the last vestige of a historic Black community in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia. It is now surrounded by condos and within earshot of the Georgia 400 Highway. It’s only accessible by a grassy path along the backside of the condos.

It is believed the community dates back to the 1820s. At one time, the Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church stood at the top of the cemetery’s hill. A storm destroyed it in 1996.

1938 aerial photo
1955 Aerial photo
1960 Aerial photo
1968 Aerial photo
1988 Aerial photo
1993 Aerial photo that shows Georgia 400
2002 Aerial photo
2015 Aerial photo
Aerial 2022 photo

These aerial photos show how the land was built around the church in the cemetery. The 1993 aerial photo shows how close Georgia 400 is to the church and the cemetery. By 2002, the condominiums come into view around the cemetery.

For the past several years, a dedicated group of volunteers has been trying to reclaim the cemetery from nature. Many of the volunteers have ancestors who once attended the church and have family members buried in the cemetery.

Jane Wright, 1890-1910
Ed Lucas, d. February 20, 1935
Rev. Samuel Sawyer, d. March 1948, with an Eldren Bailey marker
A broken market with hand etching
Frank Brown, d. June 29, 1942
-Georgia, Black History, Cemeteries, Churches and Temples, Schools

Red Oak United Methodist Church-Birdie Community, Georgia

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Front view of building

The Birdie Community was established in 1894 in northwest Spalding County. The Red Oak United Methodist Church was founded in 1871. There isn’t much published history on the church.

Behind the more modern church building is this turn of the century wooden building. I am not certain of it is a church or school, I am leaning more to it being a school based on the doors and windows.

The church seems to still be active. There were some fairly recent burials in the cemetery.

This was the oldest marker I found. Epcy Starr died in 1904.
There were several Eldren Bailey markers in the cemetery.
-Georgia, Black History, Cemeteries, Churches and Temples, Vernacular Headstones

Zion Hill Baptist Church-Haralson County, Georgia

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I was unable to find any history on the church. Based on FindAGrave, the oldest recorded burial is 1900. The church has burials in three distinct locations. The older sections were further from the church.

This marker for Grace Holcomb, 1909-1962, was my favorite find of the day. The top detail reminds me of a crown. The careful lettering and leaf etching illustrate how careful the artist was in making this. According to findagrave, there is another marker like this, but I was not successful in finding it.

On occasion, I will find Eldren Bailey markers where his markers are incorporated into other materials. Rufus and Cassie Rowe lived outside of Bremen. Rufus worked for the railroad. According to Ancestry, they had at least ten children.

Their Eldren Baikey markers were encased in concrete decorated in shells. Seashells are a common Christian symbol used in cemeteries, especially in the South, to represent a crossing over or spiritual journey. It also is believed that enslaved people utilized shells to represent that the sea brought them to this land, but the sea would also take them back to Africa.

There were also other Eldren Bailey markers in the cemetery.

Lawrence Holcomb, d. 1970
Mrs. Claudie Spear, 1909-1973

Below are a few different views of the cemetery.

-Alabama, Black History, Cemeteries, Vernacular Headstones

Cobb Cemetery-Macon County, Alabama

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I am unable to locate any information beyond what is shared on Findagrave. This cemetery once served the Shiloh AME Church in Macon County.

I love this vernacular marker. The use of concrete and stones with the hand stamping of the angel and the star. This is the marker for George Baker who passed in 1935.

This is the marker for Julia Woodall, 1858-1933. The handwriting and the star are very similar to George Baker’s, so my assumption is that this was done by the same person.

The name had fallen off the silver nameplate that you can see at the top of the photo. I am assuming this was a flower pot used to mark a grave.

There was no visible name, but the length of the spot made me think it might be the grave of a child.

This is an Eldren Bailey marker for Clemmie Felton. The family used the services of Haugabrooks Funeral Home, which was based in Atlanta.

I am only sharing this because when I drove up the dirt road to this cemetery, I thought it was a person leaning against a tree, which scared me.

-Georgia, Cemeteries, Vernacular Headstones

Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery-Henderson, Georgia

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The Shiloh Baptist Church cemetery is on the edge of the Henderson Community in Houston County. At one point, it was known as the Henderson Community Cemetery. The cemetery features some interesting markers and burial styles.

There were about a dozen plots utilizing the West African burial tradition of mounding. Based on the surrounding burials, I do not believe these were newer burials.
Mishom (?) Butts was buried with an Eldren Bailey marker.
Geppetto Montgomery, a concrete marker painted silver
There are no names on the ledger stones or the handmade marker.
Concrete marker painted with latex paint
This professionally made marker highlights that burials started during the Victorian years, and the age of the cemetery.