THE MACEDONIA CEMETERY

Hidden up a steep winding driveway near one of the busiest intersections in the City of Johns Creek, Georgia is a small African-American cemetery. The Macedonia African Methodist Church Cemetery (also known as Warsaw AME cemetery) is known to be the burial place of some who were enslaved and others who were first and second generation descendants of slaves on local farms. A visitor would only see about 2 dozen headstones; however, a 2016 archaeological survey identified an additional 81 potential unmarked graves, and 9 isolated markers. That survey indicates 105-114 graves on the site.

THE GRAVE MARKERS

The cemetery had been abandoned for decades and remaining headstones were in desperate need of repair. Grave markers are simple. Some are Georgia Marble, a few granite.

The real treasures are the Bailey markers. Elder Bailey made markers for African American funeral homes in Atlanta. The markers were cast in cement with text hand inscribed. They were meant to be a way to mark a grave inexpensively and advertise the funeral home at the same time. Each marker has the name of the funeral home above the name of the person buried. Today, Bailey markers are considered folk art, a precious cultural artifact.

 

THE CHURCH

The Macedonia African Methodist Church was also known as the Warsaw AME Church. It's thought there were 2 church structures. The first built as early as the late 1800s and would have been a simple one room structure, perhaps similar in style to others built in the area during that time. The second was a one-room cinder block structure built circa 1940s. Abandoned and in bad shape, that church was torn down by Fulton County around 2001. It appears in a 1999 aerial photo but is missing in a 2002 aerial photo. The exact location of that church is identified in aerial photos and also from a description associated with a Geodetic Marker located on the site.

THE JOHNS CREEK HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S INVOLVEMENT

In 2017, the newly formed Johns Creek Historical Society took on the project of preserving and improving the Macedonia cemetery by working with other community organizations to cleanup the overgrown cemetery, build public awareness of the needs of the cemetery, and to raise funds for improvements. The Historical Society has also been a strong advocate for the City of Johns Creek's involvement in the site's preservation, and continues its extensive research project to capture the history of the land, church, and those buried at the site.

The JC Historical Society's repair of Macedonia Cemetery's broken and fallen headstones.

The JC Historical Society's research to identify those buried in Macedonia's unmarked graves.

Our efforts followed those of others. In 1998, the Warsaw Historic Preservation Society was formed and through their efforts, Fulton County obtained a maintenance easement to the property. The group also tried to have an overlay historic district formed for the area surrounding the intersection of Medlock and State Bridge roads. In 2016, another nonprofit called Preserve Johns Creek contracted an archaeological survey by New South Associates that mapped marked graves and potential unmarked graves.

And now, a new nonprofit will oversee the Macedonia Cemetery property, its preservation, and improvement. On June 12, 2023, Descendants of Macedonia Church and Cemetery of Johns Creek, Georgia incorporated as a nonprofit with the mission to advocate for, restore, and educate the public about the history of the burial ground.

The Historical Society has worked since 2017 to build community interest, awareness, and engagement in the site's history and potential, to repair broken gravestones, and identify those buried at the cemetery. We welcome the Descendants of Macedonia's involvement in this historic site and look forward to continuing to partner with them on this project.

HOW MANY ARE BURIED at MACEDONIA CEMETERY and WHO ARE THEY?

We are still working on finding answers to those questions. A survey performed in 2016 by New South Associates identified 24 marked graves, an additional 81 potential unmarked graves, and 9 isolated markers. That survey indicates 105-114 graves.

Over 65 people buried at the site have now been identified by the Johns Creek Historical Society by researching death certificates, obituaries, newspapers articles, previous grave surveys, and other records. Work to identify the others is continuing, although we realize many will remain unknown.

The earliest marked grave belongs to Reuben Chandler (1893) and the most recent belongs to Massie K. Jones (1988).

As names have been identified, genealogy research has begun. That research is showing relationships between those buried on the site and insight into the lives they led. A few stories are emerging including a married couple that died of influenza within days of each other during the flu pandemic in 1919 and of the Ousleys, all descended from a Kentucky slave, a wedding gift, brought by the newlyweds to a farm along our stretch of Old Alabama Road.

April Waters is one of the documented slaves buried at Macedonia. The original story of April Waters, first published in 1997, has been studied and corrected based on official records. As originally told, April was definitely enslaved by local landowner George Morgan Waters, but was not one of the 49 freed in his 1851 will. Further, April, originally thought to be a female slave, was in fact male. In 2020, the Johns Creek Historical Society worked to have April's headstone returned to the cemetery and a donation from Lou Ann Lebovitz paid for it to be reset at his grave.

REPAIR OF MACEDONIA'S GRAVE MARKERS

In 2017 when the Historical Society became involved in the cemetery, it had been abandoned for decades and remaining headstones were in desperate need of repair.

Progress Made Restoring Grave Markers! Thanks to donations from individuals and funds raised by Student Leadership Johns Creek, the Historical Society was able to have 14 headstones and several foot stones repaired and reset. They now are restored and standing straight, preventing further damage and properly honoring those buried. The JC Historical Society spent $3,205 to have the following Macedonia grave markers repaired, leveled, and reset.

1. April Waters (1845-1910), enslaved
2. R.L. Parsons (1869-1923)
3. Laura Ousley (1850-1900), enslaved
4. Hellen Ousley (1905-1911), child
5. Reuben Chandler (1848-1893), oldest grave marker, enslaved
6. Susie Howell (c1873-1910)
7. Robert Ousley (c1848-1932), enslaved
8. Katie Chatham (1882-1918)
9. Carrie Baker (c1860-c1945), probable enslaved
10. Robert Ousley (1881-1914)
11. J.M. Parsons (c1873-1938)
12. concrete marker
13. Mary Riley (1915-1917), child
14. Marshall Young (c1937-1966)

 

JOHNS CREEK HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROJECT: Improving Historic Macedonia Cemetery

Headstone Repairs: Thanks to donations and the efforts of Kirk Canaday, one of our historical society board members, repairs have started at Macedonia Cemetery.

Chaunce Braun, who has performed headstone repairs at Old Roswell, Oakland, and other area cemeteries, made repairs to the broken R. L. Parsons (1869-1923) headstone, and reseated both that headstone and the April Waters (a known slave in this area), headstone.

View a video of Chaunce in his workshop making the repair to the R.L. Parsons headstone https://youtu.be/-LO-lCcOBSA

Leveling of the receivers (top left). The headstones of April Waters and R.L. Parson once again standing over their graves (top right). Chaunce Braun, Kirk Canaday, and Lou Ann Lebovitz evaluating other headstones that need repair (bottom).

FOUR SHORT STUDENT FILMS ABOUT MACEDONIA CEMETERY

January 27, 2022: Macedonia Cemetery documentaries created by local high school students premiered at Johns Creek High School in front of a large audience that included over 2 dozen US, Georgia, county, and city elected officials and dignitaries. If you missed the film screening event, below are links to the 4 videos on YouTube.

Film 1:  https://youtu.be/roUVxIAA2IY "The History of the Macedonia African Methodist Cemetery during the 19th and 20th Centuries"
Film 2:  https://youtu.be/DnrEnB1v0FY "The Diverse People of Johns Creek, Georgia"
Film 3:  https://youtu.be/yRL60hGCC7E "April Waters and the Importance of Historical Research of the Macedonia African Methodist Cemetery"
Film 4:  https://youtu.be/KWW-gNhaHSM "The Future of the Preservation and Commemoration of the Macedonia African Methodist Cemetery"