Blessing Ceremony to be held for revamped Mulberry Street Cemetery

The City of LaGrange, Troup County Archives and Visit LaGrange are set to co-host a Blessing Ceremony for the newly revitalized Mulberry Street Cemetery.

On Aug. 6, a Blessing Ceremony will be held for the Historic Mulberry Street Cemetery featuring community and church leaders.

The Mulberry Street Revitalization Project honors and recognizes more than 1,000 unmarked graves in the cemetery. The renovation incorporates comprehensive public education elements to showcase regional and local history and creates a public space for shared community engagement.

The project is years in the making. The Archives received a grant that paid for a ground-penetrating study in 2015 to locate and potentially identify graves at the cemetery. At the time, more than 400 unmarked graves were in the cemetery. A second scan with updated technology revealed at least 1,005 unmarked graves were located in the cemetery.

Many, if not all, believed to be African Americans who were buried there between 1863 and the 1900s, including renowned bridge builder Horace King.

King’s grave has since been enhanced and highlighted due to his historical significance with the plan for each grave to receive a stone marker.

The cemetery features three main sections which include more than 300 Confederate veterans, more than 1,000 unmarked graves of people believed to be African American, along with the burial site of Horace King and one of his covered bridges.

Serving as the final resting place for historic individuals from diverse backgrounds, the Mulberry Street Cemetery holds a special place in the history and heart of LaGrange. It serves as a reminder of the city’s history, including soldiers from all 13 states of the Confederacy and those enslaved during the Civil War.

Several local dignitaries are set to speak during the ceremony, including LaGrange Mayor Jim Arrington; Carleton Wood, Chairman of Visit LaGrange and Executive Director of Hills & Dales Estate; Mary Joseph, African American Programs Coordinator of the Georgia Department of Historic Preservation; Rev. Carl Von Epps, Senior Pastor of Warren Temple United Methodist Church in LaGrange; and Rev. James Goodlet, Senior Pastor of LaGrange First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange.

The Mulberry Street Blessing Ceremony will be held Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 10 a.m. at the cemetery at 101 W. Mulberry St. The event will be held rain or shine.

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