The Red Hill Prison Cemetery investigators are finding that the Georgia State Cherokee roses planted in the 1920s are now blossoming and providing clues to the grave locations and cemetery boundaries.
In 1936 as the prison was moving to the new location in Reidsville, the superintendent noted that the 1,500 license plates marking the graves would be documented but to date this historic record has not been found. In 2016, a survey by the Southeastern Archeological Services found and documented 600-650 possible graves located in two fenced sections of the Red Hill Cemetery.
In 2022, with the historical documentation that possibly 1500 - 2000 graves existed, the search continues. The missing graves could be located on adjoining lands or behind the prison which to date have not been surveyed.
On Sunday April 24, a survey is planned with the help of cadaver dogs, flowering Cherokee roses, metal detectors, drone and thermal photography.
Will thousands of white roses tell us where a thousand missing graves are located or will a dog’s nose know the answer?
Join our Facebook group and support Friends of Red Hill Prison Cemetery. For more information contact Edwin C. Atkins, project manager redhillprisoncemetery@gmail.com or call 917.861.8024.
– Contributed