Using advanced survey tools to protect a historic cemetery from future roadwork disturbance

At a Glance

  • 3

    Acres

Location
Leon County, Florida
Offices
Client
  • Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency
Partners
  • RS&H
Awards
Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation, Archaeology 2024
Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Archaeology 2024

Bannerman Road and Carr Cemetery - Ground Penetrating Radar Survey

While upgrading the intersection at Bannerman and North Meridian Roads, Leon County saw that plans might impact surrounding properties including the nearby historic Carr Cemetery. With possible unmarked graves in the area, the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, working on behalf of the County and contractor Reynolds Smith and Hill, engaged our team to help.

We conducted a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of a three-acre (one-hectare) parcel and analyzed available LiDAR (laser imaging, detection, and ranging) data for signs of graves on the ground surface. Little had been written about the history of this African American cemetery, which was established in the late 19th century on what had been an antebellum plantation.

Blueprint also asked our historians to conduct archival research. We focused on the planation’s owner, William A. Carr, the identities of those who might be buried in the cemetery, and connections with African American communities today. One of the prominent people we discovered buried at Carr Cemetery was Wallace B. Carr, an African American man who served as a delegate to the 1885 Florida State Constitutional Convention. Our team prepared recommendations for preserving the site and a report that detailed the cemetery’s historic context.

In addition to serving as valuable historical resource, the report provides the County with clearly defined boundaries for the cemetery, which can help prevent future disturbances to the site.

At a Glance

  • 3

    Acres

Location
Leon County, Florida
Offices
Client
  • Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency
Partners
  • RS&H
Awards
Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation, Archaeology 2024
Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Archaeology 2024

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