New Hope Cemetery
New Hope Cemetery is a historically Black cemetery that was established by the congregants of New Hope Methodist Church in the 1800s. The church was created in 1885 after Black members of the Franklin United Methodist Church set out to establish their own church. While the trustees of New Hope Methodist Church purchased the land for the cemetery in 1893, it is possible that it was used prior to that year.
When New Hope Methodist Church’s membership declined, it closed its doors. The building was demolished soon after. 1
The cemetery was restored as part of the Eagle Scout project, “New Hope Cemetery Restoration Project”, which was led by Andrew Baldwin in 2013. 2
As part of Baldwin’s project, local historian Barbara McRae conducted research on the church and the cemetery, examining death certificates for information about the cemetery’s occupants. While the exact number of individuals is unknown, there are at least seven marked graves and thirty-four unmarked graves in the cemetery. Death certificates from 1909 onwards indicate that even more people were laid to rest here. According to Josephine Greenwood Burgess (1920-2014), one of the last members of the church, the last burial in the cemetery took place in the 1940s. 3
The following individuals’ names are visible on the marked graves:
- Lizzie Dickey
- W.F. Dickey
- Ada Greenwood (1878-1904)
- Mollie Holden (1859-1906)
- Jency McAfee (1835-1907)
- Maggie Thomas
Several other individuals, including Josephine Greenwood Burgess’ father, Thomas Greenwood, and one of my great great uncles, James Rufus Stewart (1868-1919), are known to have been buried here. A seventh marker remains illegible.
New Hope Cemetery was proudly added to the Black Cemetery Network in 2023.
Below is are photos and video footage taken at New Hope Cemetery in 2022.
