Cemetery Preservation - Endangered historic graveyards (Birmingham, Rosa: maintenance, most dangerous, safest)

[cslayton]

The FRATERNAL CEMETERY in Pratt City is seriously endangered.

This cemetery was started 10 years (1881) after the formation of Birmingham. It was marked as an historical site by the Jefferson Co Historical Commission in 2007, yet it cannot have had ANY maintenance effort since that date, if it received any at the time.

The cemetery was designed with many of the family plots on terraces, and many of the terraces bear the carved surnames of the plot owners. Most if not all of these plots are only accessilbe by the brave at any time of the year, but winter is the safest for snake-avoidance and dieback of the vegetation.

Only the center section of the cemetery is still surveyable, and it is endangered through sheer age. The maintenance shed appears to be a burnt-out shell.

Just to mention one theme of concern: The number of Italian names of great prominence, as well as the craftsman who came here to build the city, are about to be destroyed through sheer neglect. Schilleci, Tombrello, Rosaglia, the list is long. Printed surveys in the Birmngham Library (Southern History Collection) will reveal more names (of all nationalties) than a drive-by could ever suggest.

I tried to walk it from end to end, but the perimeters are going fast, and cannot be walked safely until massive clearing is done.

.These families undoubtedly paid for the joke that is known as PERPETUAL CARE in the cemetery business. I was expecting to hear the spinning of the bodies in their graves; these were obviously among the proudest families in Birmingham, who undoubtedly had expected flowers and not botanical garbage and felled trees surrounding and threatening their memorials.

Beautiful stones, probably carved by Italian craftmen, are still extant, but will be covered up in time, if nothing is done about the encroaching vegetation. A tree has fallen and broken the fabric of at least one terrace wall, and this will continue.

The only things worse for a cemetery would be the introduction of cattle or pigs, but utter neglect will inexorably do the job of reducing this to a most dangerous patch of forestland as the saplings compete for dominance and the roots roil the grounds, competing with the frost heave to topple these memorials.

The gateway at the entrance probably will not allow the modern behemoths of of the road into the yard, and this may be an instance where preserving this gateway is not in the best interests of maintaining this historic graveyard, but I am only a field worker, not an architect.

The dead ARE the history of Birmingham, and these have clearly been forgotten.

Clinton Slayton
Slaton Slatton Slayden Family Project
Find A Grave Photo Volunteer

[Southlander]

Can you post some pictures?
Also, please be aware that there is an extremely limited audience for City Data's forum. You need a much bigger audience. Have you tried the Birmingham News? If you got a "no" from one person there, keep trying!

[cslayton]

I sent images to two people who were supposed to bring this up at the Bham Genealogical Soc meeting a couple weeks ago, I could not attend. Thanks for responding.

[tdferg]

I have relatives buried at Fraternal as well. HAve you seen the Facebook group that has been established for Fraternal? How can we organize to improve the conditions?
Tom

[Criss1956]

There is now a group of people who have made huge progress in both cemeteries. It's had a complete makeover, even the gazebo on the Greenwood side is cleaned up; something that I've never seen.
Go to friends of fraternal cemetery FB site.

[vb808]

Originally Posted by Criss1956

There is now a group of people who have made huge progress in both cemeteries. It's had a complete makeover, even the gazebo on the Greenwood side is cleaned up; something that I've never seen.
Go to friends of fraternal cemetery FB site.

Is the clean-up accomplishment something recent? I heard that there was an effort a while back to try and help clean up the cemetery but I thought it fizzled out.

My grandfather, aunt and a few other relatives are buried at this cemetery. A cousin's marble grave statue was stolen from here a few years back and made the news.

Stolen angel brings Birmingham area family fresh grief for long-lost sister | AL.com

[Miv]

Website of Cemetery