Atlanta's Historic Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery Documented Amidst Urban Growth
Lisa Y. Henderson, a researcher with the Lane Street Project and Black Wide-Awake, has begun documenting historic African-American burial grounds in metro Atlanta, including the Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Adamsville. This initiative aims to understand how these sites have fared amidst rapid population growth, shifting demographics, and land loss. Saint John Missionary Baptist Church, though no longer active, was one of the oldest Black churches in the Adamsville community, with the Young family at its core. Green Young, born around 1870, and his wife Emma Martin, were instrumental in its founding. Their son, Rev. Toby Young, later led the church, and many family members are buried in its cemetery. The burial ground is now situated between the parking lots of newer churches on Fairburn Road, climbing a wooded hill towards residential backyards. Despite its age and weathering, the cemetery is regularly cleared of overgrowth.
