W. TERRY SMITH
Editor
TARBORO —
Next week, Tarboro Town Council is expected to approve giving Old Town Cemetery to Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Monday, July 12 in Council Chambers at Town Hall.
The church congregation approved the deal Sunday, July 27 after presentations by Mary Louise Batchelor and Ed Roberson.
"I think it is fair to say that our congregation enthusiastically supports the church’s acquisition and caretaking of the Old Town Cemetery," said the Rev. Dr. Christopher Edmonston, Howard's pastor. "We are excited about the future of the project."
Town Manager Sam Noble said, "It will be up to Council, but we are recommending we deed it to them. It's a win-win for both of us.
“They will improve on what's there, enhance the cemetery."
The agreement between the church and town states the town will remove some designated trees, provide a curb cut along Pitt Street for a driveway, remove a power line and plant some trees the church provides.
The church already has spent about $20,000 on an archaeological study and tree care the last two years, Edmonston reported when he came to Council in January and made a request for ownership of the cemetery.
This will give Howard Memorial ownership of the entire block bounded by Pitt, Saint Patrick, Saint James and Saint David streets.
It is estimated that this project will take about a year after a transfer date is negotiated between the church and town.
"I think townspeople will begin to see the removal of old and dangerous trees, intentional weeding and other cosmetic improvements by late summer and early fall," Edmonston said.
Most of the initial improvements will be cosmetic.
"The long term goal is to create a 'placid green space' around our church," Edmonston said. "The garden will be tranquil and meditative – a place for worship, prayer and godly play.
"I am sometimes asked what it will look like ... it will look, years from now, like the Town Common with multiple gravesites and areas of focus."
The cemetery entrance has an engraving that reads: "They Wore The Gray." The bodies of Union soldiers were removed by their families years ago.
Numerous graves in Old Town Cemetery are marked. However, it is assumed many wooden grave markers from the cemetery’s early graves have been lost over the years, leaving the block potentially populated with an undetermined number of undisclosed graves.
Little and Little Landscape Architects of Raleigh is being hired to help with the project.
In 1993, the town conveyed some land near Pitt Street to the church for a columbarium.
Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church is 135 years young.
Originally called Tarboro Presbyterian Church, it became known as Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church when the sanctuary was dedicated in May 1909. It has about 370 members
"Our church views this as an opportunity to help beautify our town and to create a lasting space of worship for our membership and our fellow residents and neighbors for decades to come," Edmonston said.
"We are excited about the opportunity and look forward to partnering with the Town of Tarboro to see our part through to the end. We are grateful for the help of many partners."
