Brooklyn Cemetery
Site Brief:
Founded: 1882
Location: Athens, GA
Additional name(s): Bethlehem Cemetery
Affiliate group(s):
Historic Athens
Morton Theatre Corporation
History:
Established in 1882, the Brooklyn Cemetery (http://www.brooklyncemetery.org/)—founded by the Bethlehem Cemetery Society—was one of the first African American cemeteries in Athens, Georgia. Located on the western side of Athens, the cemetery served as a final resting place for many African Americans from Athens and surrounding communities. The people buried there were largely working class—tradespeople of the period, farmers, preachers, teachers, and professionals in the service industry. Known burials include 54 documented veterans of the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War. Several historic African American churches used the cemetery, including Hill First Baptist Church (the oldest African American Baptist church in Athens, Georgia; Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (established in 1869), First A.M.E. (the oldest African American church in Athens, established as Pierce Chapel in 1866) and Hill Chapel Baptist Church (established in 1924). Three long-standing Athens funeral homes, Hurley, Mack and Payne, and Jackson-McWhorter also had designated areas in the cemetery. The nearly 10-acre site has been the subject of restoration and preservation efforts for nearly 20 years, roughly three decades after the cemetery began to fall into disrepair. Although many of the temporary grave markers have been lost, some remain standing—strong and visible, while remnants of others remain. Volunteers have unearthed old, weathered stones and other artifacts, cleared away tons of debris, and documented roughly 1,000 known burials, with the last one occurring in 1993. The Brooklyn Cemetery is owned by the Bethlehem Cemetery Society.
