As you can read on this sign, the original Methodist church was built here on South Elm Street in 1831, 33 years after Greensboro became a city. Today, it is located on West Market Street and known as West Market Street United Methodist Church. This monochrome, black and white photo, taken yesterday, emphasizes the lines and the fact that the trees still don't have leaves. If you look to the right of the trees and streetlamp on the right, at the end of the awning. you can see a pear tree that has already bloomed. Spring is a little early this year in Greensboro.
The other side of this historic marker is entitled, Former Methodist Cemetery, and reads: The original Methodist cemetery, west of Elm and south of Bragg streets, was used for public burials also. In 1916 the city purchased the land to extend Ashe Street, so the graves were moved. The church purchased plots in Green Hill Cemetery for 106 bodies unclaimed by family members. We're off to Green Hill to see if we can find the section with the unclaimed bodies. Do any of you know what part of the cemetery they are buried in? There is always something new to learn about Greensboro.
Happy Sunday!
Monochrome suits this.
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, March 05, 2023 at 08:26 AM
Hi,
THANKS for sharing this marker. I've done research on this Methodist church and the old cemetery, that was moved and another cemetery that was also in South Greensboro that was moved to Green Hill. If you are on FB, there is a group called Friends of Green Hill that has a FB page. We have discussed these unmarked graves a couple of times. I've posted maps of where these cemetery's use to be to this group and other Greensboro History groups on FB.
THANKS for all your great photos, always enjoy them!! - Nollie
Glascock Stove Historian / Collector
Posted by: Nollie W. Neill, Jr | Sunday, March 05, 2023 at 09:54 AM
The bodies moved from the Methodist cemetery on S. Elm Street in 1917 were reinterred at Green Hill in eight plots purchased by West Market Street UMC. A local company, Huntley, Stockton & Hill moved the 32 bodies that were never claimed and reinterred them; however, it placed them in trenches rather than individual spaces required in the contract. Over the years this caused typographical problems and the tombstones began to sink. To correct this problem the church placed almost all of the stones flat on the ground. Unfortunately, the inscriptions are slowly disappearing, but the WMS History Committee has copied all of them and tries to maintain the area.
On the Green Hill map available on the website, the Methodist graves are in section 15. If you enter the cemetery at the gates closest to Fisher Avenue, turn left and drive along the fence towards Hill Street. Turn right at the 6th road after sections 11 and 12.
Posted by: Gayle Fripp | Sunday, March 05, 2023 at 02:12 PM