Using 21st century technology to preserve 19th century history
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
- Offices
- Client
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- Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency
- Partners
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- RS&H
Rebecca O’Sullivan, Archaeologist
Archaeology can make a difference when it addresses the challenges and questions of communities today.
Lucy Jones, Architectural Historian
Understanding what we’ve built in the past affects the way we live today and allows us to be intentional about what we create for tomorrow.
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