South-View Cemetery in southeast Atlanta just got a major boost in its fight against time and neglect, landing on the Georgia Register of Historic Places. The 1886 burial ground, where Congressman John Lewis and baseball legend Hank Aaron are laid to rest, now qualifies for state-level protections and potential preservation dollars.
A state review board signed off on the listing earlier this week, according to WSB-TV. South-View Cemetery Association president Winifred Watts Hemphill called the recognition "long overdue," adding that "it feels like we’ve been seen," and cemetery leaders say the new status will help them chase protections and grants for some of the site’s most fragile historic plots.
Founded By Formerly Enslaved Atlantans
South-View was chartered in 1886 by six Black men who had been born enslaved, a history documented by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. What began as 25 acres has since grown to more than 100 acres and now holds tens of thousands of burials, with roughly 80,000 headstones on the grounds, according to Atlanta Magazine.
Next Steps And Preservation Plans
Cemetery leaders say this is just the opening chapter. They plan to seek a national-level review for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and to apply for grants to stabilize and preserve original burial plots, according to WSB-TV. The nomination effort is being coordinated with preservation partners including the Atlanta Preservation Center, Axios reported.
Preservation Advocates Call It Overdue
David Mitchell of the Atlanta Preservation Center has said South-View "tells the story of America" as advocates work to document the cemetery for national nomination, according to Axios. State historic-preservation rules mean a Georgia Register listing uses the same documentation standards as the National Register and can open the door to federal grants and state tax incentives, per the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
For Hemphill and the families with loved ones at South-View, the new designation is about more than a plaque or a line in a registry. It is meant to safeguard fragile gravesites while preserving generations of Black Atlanta history. Cemetery leaders say they are moving quickly on grant applications and further documentation work, according to South-View Cemetery.
