GEORGIA: Cemetery containing both slaves and Confederate soldiers restored
LAGRANGE, Ga. (WTVM) – Dating back to 1863, the Mulberry Street Cemetery in LaGrange, Georgia has been a resting place for over 1,000 unmarked graves; many of these individuals believed to be African American slaves, along with over 300 Confederate soldiers.
Despite such a divide, this cemetery has turned their stories into a way of unity.
“It is very unusual to have 300 Confederate soldiers and a thousand African-Americans buried so close to each other,” said President of Visit LaGrange, Kathy Tilley. “So, we took that opportunity to celebrate this time in our history.”
The Mulberry Street Cemetery is the final resting place for soldiers from all 11 official states of the confederacy, slaves who played a vital role during the Civil War, and most famously – renowned bridge builder and architect Horace King.
King’s engineering legacy includes the construction of more than 125 bridges across the region, while also building bridges with those in the community throughout his time as an Alabama legislator.
The $2.7 million restoration includes a new boardwalk, landscaping enhancements, and the preservation of existing historical markers. This milestone pushes the community to not only learn from those in the past, but to honor them.
“We move forward together as a community, not discrediting the history that happened – but expanding it to include a narrative that supports every person’s storyline and take what was meant for bad and turn it into good,” said Executive Director of Trustbuilding Inc., Chalton Askew.
1,000 unmarked graves have now been identified as part of the completed restoration, and though the individuals cannot be identified, each will be honored with a marker.
