Mt. Olive Cemetery Wreath-Laying Ceremony

What: A consecration and wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the former residents of Black Buckhead
When: Sunday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m.
Where: Frankie Allen Park, 100 Bagley St. N.E., Atlanta 30305
Participants:

• Camille Russell Love, Executive Director, Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs
• Pastor David F. Richards III, New Hope AME Church
• Pearl Cleage, City of Atlanta's Poet Laureate
• City Council Member Howard Shook
• Charlotte Margolin, Buckhead Heritage Board President
• Elon Butts Osby, Granddaughter of William and Ida Bagley

About Mount Olive Cemetery:

Mt. Olive Cemetery, located on a 0.22-acre wooded parcel adjacent to Frankie Allen Park, is one of the last remnants of Buckhead’s African American heritage. The cemetery was established next to the Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church, which was located adjacent to Pharr Road, was formed by newly freed slaves and existed as early as 1870.

In 1921, developer John Owens laid out a formal subdivision called Macedonia Park for the African American residents who had gravitated to the area. Generally, the residents worked on nearby farms or performed domestic service for Buckhead’s affluent white citizens. A few, like William Bagley, were entrepreneurs who established businesses in the neighborhood. Macedonia Park eventually became a thriving community with over 400 residents, three churches, two grocery stores, barber shops, and restaurants.

However, between 1945 and 1953, Fulton County acquired all of the homes in Macedonia Park through coercive negotiation or eminent domain to make way for a public park, which was originally called Bagley Park, but is now named Frankie Allen Park. Residents received anywhere between $0 and $5,000 for their property.

Mt. Olive Cemetery contains the graves of residents of Macedonia Park and worshippers at Mt. Olive AME Church.

Contact:

Buckhead Heritage Executive Director Richard Waterhouse, rwaterhouse@buckheadheritage.com, 404.367.9447