College Park Volunteers Restore Forgotten Black Cemetery

Beneath decades of tangled brush and fallen trees, the stories of College Park's Black community were waiting to be rediscovered.

College View Cemetery had been swallowed by neglect since the 1990s, when airport expansion forced families to leave the area. The seven-acre burial ground holds roughly 700 people, including veterans from World War I through Vietnam, educators, and community leaders who shaped the city's history.

Now, volunteers with One Square Project, Inc. are bringing it back. Armed with chainsaws, tools, and determination, they've spent months clearing vegetation, removing debris, and uncovering headstones that haven't seen daylight in years.

"This was a cemetery for the African Americans not only in College Park, but in the South Fulton area as well," said Craig Eberhart, who leads the grassroots restoration effort. The earliest grave dates back to 1925.

What they found was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Thick vegetation had covered gravesites, trees had fallen across burial plots, and some vaults were exposed to the elements. But as the land cleared, names began to emerge.

Jefferson F. Beavers, whose family name graces a local school, is buried there. So is Eva Thomas, a philanthropist and social activist for whom a high school was named in 1964. The Banks family, College Park's first Black morticians, rest there too.

One grave belongs to Mr. Jackson, born in 1862 when he was enslaved. His final resting place is now being honored by a community that refuses to forget.

The Ripple Effect

About five businesses and countless volunteers have joined the cause, working primarily on Saturdays. The cemetery sits behind Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and the response has been overwhelming.

Long-term plans go beyond restoration. Organizers envision a peaceful green space with walking trails and reflection areas that honor the cemetery's historical significance. A stream at the rear of the property could offer a place for fishing and contemplation.

So far, they've raised $6,000 toward an estimated $1 million needed for full restoration. Eberhart is calling on city, county, state, and federal officials to help complete the project.

"We're going to bring this back," Eberhart said. "We're going to get this back to where it needs to be."

The work continues every Saturday, one headstone at a time, ensuring that College Park's pioneers receive the dignity they deserve.