Local City Cemetery is Endangered

Posted on June 4, 2008
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Old City Cemetery - Murfreesboro, TN The Murfreesboro Post had a really good story this last weekend on the Old City Cemetery in Murfreesboro, TN. The cemetery sits on Vine Street, just off of the Vine and Maney Streets intersection. The cemetery is behind a locked fence and gate, which is why I’ve never added it to Pastigo.com or even been inside of the cemetery. However, it holds some great history.

The cemetery was started in the 1820s and the property also was home to the First Presbyterian Church. Aside from being the first church in the town, it also entered the history books when the state legislature met there in 1822. For about 8 years Murfreesboro served as the state capitol and the legislature met in the county courthouse. However, the courthouse burned and the legislature had to meet in the church until a new courthouse was built. Serving in that legislature in the old church was future president James K. Polk, future general and Texas president Sam Houston and Alamo fighter Davy Crockett. It was during that legislature also that Andrew Jackson was nominated as a candidate for the presidency of the United States. The last service in the church was in October 1862. The town was heavily occupied by Confederate troops and it was becoming more clear that the Union troops were coming to give them a fight, which occured from December 31, 1862 till January 2, 1863. In the months after the battle, the church was utilized as a hospital for wounded soldiers.

Unfortunately, the old church was completely destroyed by the Union Army as it occupied the town in 1863. Desperate for firewood and building supplies, the Yankee army continually stole pieces from the church (including dismantling the actual building) until by 1864 the historic building had completely disappeared. Rather than remain on this site, the church congregation chose to rebuild in another location.

The cemetery was expanded by the town officials in 1837 and became the City Cemetery. However, when the church was destroyed and the congregation moved, the city started rethinking the small, space-confined cemetery. They established a new community cemetery in 1873 (Evergreen Cemetery). Fearing the old cemetery would begin to be neglected, families started removing loved ones to the new cemetery. Over the years, the fear became a reality as the cemetery was neglected, overlooked, improperly cared for and vandals began striking.

Today, the cemetery is locked up pretty tightly, but damage still occurs, though mostly through neglect. Sadly, being locked up also means those of us who appreciate the history of the people buried there, including some American Revolution vets (and the several historical markers on the property) are also locked out.

The cemetery is listed #4 on the Tennessee Preservation Trust’s 2008 list of Most Endangered Historic Places. Many of the monuments are crumbling and it is feared if something isn’t done soon to preserve the cemetery, it will be lost.

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