Hidden historic cemetery sparks preservation discussion in Dougherty County

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ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Dougherty County commissioners are preparing to discuss whether the county can preserve a historic cemetery that community members say holds an important piece of South Georgia history.

The cemetery, tucked away in the Riverdale subdivision, contains three graves dating back to the 1800s.

Neighborhood President Yaz Johnson said he first discovered the graves while playing in the area as a child. Years later, he began researching the cemetery and learned it contains members of the Brinson family, including the parents of Simeon Brinson, the Civil War veteran, businessman, former postmaster, mayor and Georgia lawmaker for whom the town of Brinson was named.

“Everybody in the neighborhood knew about the cemetery, but nobody knew anything about the graves that was in the cemetery,” Johnson said. “To find out there were historical connections with this grave site and Brinson, Georgia... We definitely need to clear this out.”

Johnson shared his findings with Dougherty County commissioners, prompting discussions about whether the county can preserve the site.

District 2 Commissioner Victor Edwards said he plans to bring the issue before the county commission during an upcoming work session.

“We’ll do it on the work session,” Edwards said. “Then we’ll be able to discuss it.”

Before any restoration work can begin, county leaders said several questions must be answered. The cemetery sits on privately owned property, meaning the county must determine what legal authority it has to make improvements and who would assume responsibility for maintaining the site.

“The county attorney will look at it to see, can we do something for it?” Edwards said.

Johnson said his goal is to respectfully restore the cemetery and preserve the history it represents.

“The hope is to clear it out, respectfully restore the grave sites and make it a monument,” he said.

Commissioners are expected to discuss the proposal during an upcoming work session before determining what steps the county can take moving forward.

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