Board of Commissioners Approves Transfer of Historic Macedonia Cemetery
Board of Commissioners Approves Transfer of Historic Macedonia Cemetery
March 05, 2021
On Wednesday, March 3, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved a transfer of the Macedonia African Methodist Church Cemetery to the City of Johns Creek.
The City of Johns Creek, the Johns Creek Historical Society, the Warsaw Historic Preservation Society and Student Leadership Johns Creek, along with residents of Johns Creek, have worked jointly to begin the process of restoring and preserving the cemetery.
District 1 Commissioner Liz Hausmann, who worked with the city to bring forward the action before the Board of Commissioners, said “I look forward to seeing the historic Macedonia Cemetery receive the full attention and restoration it deserves. This will pave the way for the site to be included on the National Register of Historic Places and to allow others to learn from our community’s history.”
Macedonia African Methodist Church Cemetery is on land hidden away in one of the busiest Johns Creek intersections off Medlock Bridge Road. Dating back to the 1800s, the cemetery is the resting place of some who were enslaved and their descendants. With documented graves, the Johns Creek Historical Society has identified known former slaves, including April Waters, Reuben Chandler, and Robert Ousley. The earliest documented grave at the Macedonia Cemetery belongs to Reuben Chandler dating back to 1893. At one time there was a one-room church on the site, which was once part of a plantation.
Groups in Johns Creek including Student Leadership Johns Creek and Johns Creek Historical Society have worked together to draw attention to the site and raise dollars to eventually establish a Memorial Garden. With these efforts, the Macedonia Cemetery will finally be able to step out of its hidden place.
Fulton County obtained the Macedonia Cemetery in 1998 as part of an easement through eminent domain. The City of Johns Creek began maintaining the property in 2017
The City of Johns Creek, the Johns Creek Historical Society, the Warsaw Historic Preservation Society and Student Leadership Johns Creek, along with residents of Johns Creek, have worked jointly to begin the process of restoring and preserving the cemetery.
District 1 Commissioner Liz Hausmann, who worked with the city to bring forward the action before the Board of Commissioners, said “I look forward to seeing the historic Macedonia Cemetery receive the full attention and restoration it deserves. This will pave the way for the site to be included on the National Register of Historic Places and to allow others to learn from our community’s history.”
Macedonia African Methodist Church Cemetery is on land hidden away in one of the busiest Johns Creek intersections off Medlock Bridge Road. Dating back to the 1800s, the cemetery is the resting place of some who were enslaved and their descendants. With documented graves, the Johns Creek Historical Society has identified known former slaves, including April Waters, Reuben Chandler, and Robert Ousley. The earliest documented grave at the Macedonia Cemetery belongs to Reuben Chandler dating back to 1893. At one time there was a one-room church on the site, which was once part of a plantation.
Groups in Johns Creek including Student Leadership Johns Creek and Johns Creek Historical Society have worked together to draw attention to the site and raise dollars to eventually establish a Memorial Garden. With these efforts, the Macedonia Cemetery will finally be able to step out of its hidden place.
Fulton County obtained the Macedonia Cemetery in 1998 as part of an easement through eminent domain. The City of Johns Creek began maintaining the property in 2017