Black Cemetery Preservation & The Hamilton Hood Foundation

Rediscovering Pierce Chapel Cemetary

The Hamilton Hood Foundation is working tirelessly to reclaim and restore the African American burial grounds near Pierce Chapel in Harris County, GA.  The Foundation represents descendants whose ancestors are buried there, in a destroyed and overgrown plot that is privately owned by the same family who enslaved people before Emancipation.

The cemetery was established circa 1840 as a designated burial ground for enslaved Africans. Following the Civil War, descendants of those interred settled in the area and continued the celebratory West African burial traditions, despite hardships and oppressive conditions. Many of those laid to rest there were Black farmers, Buffalo Soldiers, skilled artisans, and some of the first African Americans to own land in Harris County.  There are an estimated 500 or more souls buried in this cemetery.

Support for Healing at Pierce Chapel Cemetery

In early February 2022, the Hamilton Hood Foundation requested assistance from FFRN! To fund the archeological work necessary (i.e., to locate and identify human remains and ceremonial objects) prior to cemetery restoration. FFRN! has contributed a total of $35,000 between February and May for archaeological surveys that include using cadaver dogs and drones.  So far, an additional 75 burial sites have been identified.