SITE DIRECTORY
To learn more about any of the BCN sites listed below, click “Read more” to view individual site briefs. To search for a specific BCN site, use the search bar below:
O’Neal AME Church Cemetery
O’Neal AME Church Cemetery
FOUNDED: 1810-1820
ADDITIONAL NAMES: Old Neal Cemetery
AFFILIATION(S):
Ruben Gay Place
HISTORY: The O’Neal A.M.E. Church Cemetery in Hampton, Georgia, is a historically significant burial ground representing generations of Black American, Native American, and mixed-ancestry families whose histories span multiple eras, from pre-European colonization through slavery, the Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction, segregation, and the modern era. Historical and genealogical records identify members of these families as “Black”, “Negro”, “Colored”, and “Mulatto”, reflecting terminology used during different historical periods. The cemetery represents individuals and families who experienced enslavement before Emancipation, as well as Freedmen and Freedwomen who established families, churches, educational institutions, and communities after slavery. Research has identified educators and professors, Freemasons, veterans, church leaders, community leaders, and working families among those buried or historically connected to O’Neal. Their stories represent generations of survival, education, military service, faith, leadership, and achievement before and after the Civil War. The cemetery’s association with the historic O’Neal A.M.E. Church reflects the important role of the Black church in worship, education, mutual aid, family life, and community development following Emancipation. Descendants remain connected to individuals buried here, with family relationships extending into historic cemeteries and communities throughout the region. Today, Honor Thy Roots Cemetery Preservation Inc. is researching, documenting, and advocating for the protection of O’Neal as development occurs around the burial ground. Preserving O’Neal means protecting the graves, identities, and stories of enslaved ancestors, Freedmen and Freedwomen, Black American and Native American families, people historically classified as Mulatto, educators, Freemasons, veterans, and community leaders and ensuring that this history of ancestry, survival, freedom, faith, service, and achievement is preserved for future generations.
BCN Contact Information:
Honor Thy Roots Cemetery Preservation, Inc.
Weems Slave Cemetery
Weems Slave Cemetery
FOUNDED: 1820-1830
ADDITIONAL NAMES: Weems Slave Plantation
AFFILIATION(S): N/A
HISTORY: The Weems Slave Cemetery is a historic burial ground associated with the former Weems Plantation in Henry County, Georgia, dating to the early 1800s. The cemetery is believed to contain between 500 and 1,000 graves, including those of enslaved African Americans and Native Americans who lived and labored on the plantation. Many of the graves remain unmarked, making the site one of the largest known historic burial grounds of its kind in the area. The cemetery stands as a powerful reminder of the generations of men, women, and children whose lives helped shape Henry County’s history. The site’s significance to the local community and Black history is profound. It serves as a sacred resting place for hundreds of ancestors whose stories were largely omitted from historical records. Today, descendants, historians, archaeologists, and community members are working to preserve and protect the cemetery, ensuring that the lives, contributions, and legacies of an estimated 500 to 1,000 African American and Native American ancestors are recognized, honored, and remembered for future generations. The cemetery represents an irreplaceable link to the history of slavery, survival, family, and community in Henry County and the State of Georgia.
BCN Contact Information:
Honor Thy Roots Cemetery Preservation, Inc.