Pinetown Cemetery is a Georgia Treasure - Will It Remain for Future Generations?

Guiding Star Shares Viewpoint on Why Everyone Should Care about Cemeteries 

Google Maps Guiding Star and Jim-Ree Museum Co-founder April Hamm wrote in their Elberton Star editorial this past week, "Cemeteries are not only sacred spaces for the families and communities of the deceased, but also sources of historical, cultural, and biological information."  The State of Georgia agrees.

Hamm continued, "[Pinetown Cemetery] is not only a place of rest for the departed, but also a place of inspiration for the living." The State of Georgia agrees.

Georgia Cares about Cemeteries 

Georgia preservation laws favor keeping burials in place. In fact, the State of Georgia considers "human remains and burial objects as part of the state’s finite, irreplaceable, and nonrenewable cultural heritage.” If this is the case, however, then why is Pinetown Cemetery endangered?

Do GA Cities and Counties Care?

• Why, then, was Pinetown Cemetery chosen as a site for local infrastructure development in 1961?
• Why was part of Pinetown Cemetery recently sold at auction to a private buyer without consideration of the nonprofit that manages most of the property?
• Why is Pinetown Cemetery now being considered as site for affordable housing development?

We understand that cities and counties can operate independently of the State on many matters. But our cemeteries should be off limits!

How to Show You Care

1. Leave a comment with your reason for caring about Pinetown Cemetery or cemeteries in general.
2. Contact the Elberton Star to thank them for including April Hamm's viewpoint on Pinetown Cemetery. Tell them your reason for caring about Pinetown Cemetery or cemeteries in general. Purchase the April e-edition to read the editorial.
3. Share a news tip with a national or international media outlet to help our story reach a wider audience. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, National Geographic, PBS, NBC, BBC, Guardian, and others have covered endangered cemeteries. 
4. Share our petition with one or more specific people who might care too. Be sure to include your comment or use ours: "Pinetown Cemetery is a Georgia Treasure! Sign to Stop Rezoning Now!"

"Pinetown Cemetery is a Georgia treasure, and it should remain so for generations to come." –April Hamm via Elberton Star Viewpoints 

Thank You!

Caption: On a white background between black parallel horizontal lines, the bottom thicker and bolder than the top, black text that reads, Quote: "Pinetown Cemetery has been a place of shared memory, sacred reflection, and ancestral healing for generations. It is not only a place of rest for the departed, but also a place of inspiration for the living. It is a Georgia treasure, and it should remain so for generations to come." –April Hamm (Source: Elberton Star, April 26, 2023)