STARKVILLE — Sydney Pullen, assistant professor of anthropology and middle eastern cultures at Mississippi State University, spoke about the Brush Arbor Cemetery project at Starkville Town and Country Garden Club’s fall kickoff meeting on Thursday, held at the First Baptist Church Applegate building.
“The Brush Arbor Cemetery is an important part of our community, and our club’s Historic Preservation Committee has selected it as a project,” said Lynne Strickland, president of the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club. “The cemetery has been long neglected, and we hope to work with Dr. Pullen, Mississippi State departments of anthropology and architecture, and the City of Starkville to help revitalize this 200-year-old, historically Black cemetery.”
Pullen gave the garden club a brief history of the cemetery, including the names of prominent families buried there such as Ben Chiles, an Oktibbeha county legislator and World War II veteran. Pullen also shared research by Cassidy Rayburn, a Mississippi State student, who identified 48 marked graves and more than 100 unidentified graves in the cemetery.
“There are three key reasons the community should care about restoring the Brush Arbor Cemetery,” said Pullen. “First is the significance of it being a cemetery. Second is the significance of it being a Black cemetery, and third is the significance of it being a 200-year-old Black cemetery in Starkville.”
Pullen said restoring the cemetery will be a long-term and possibly costly project due to several problems identified, which were:
■ Significant soil erosion within the cemetery could lead to graves being exposed.
■ Ongoing vandalism of markers, litter and the use of cemetery grounds for walking pets and socializing by residents from nearby apartments.
■ Safety and accessibility because the front entrance steps are steep with no handrails and the benches within the cemetery grounds are broken.
“I’m encouraged, however, because there is so much enthusiasm about the project from families with loved ones buried there, interest from community groups such as the garden club, and solid support from the City of Starkville,” Pullen said. “With all this collaboration we have great potential to restore the cemetery and to repair the breach in some relationships.”
Cathy Kemp, chairman of the garden club’s Historic Preservation Committee, announced the club will hold a workday at Brush Arbor Cemetery located at 517 University Drive in Starkville at 10 a.m. Sept. 20 and she invited club members, other groups and any interested individuals to join committee members to help clean up the grounds.
In addition to the presentation on Brush Arbor Cemetery, the initial fall meeting included committee reports on their plans for the 2025-2026 garden club year along with a lot of discussion about the club’s upcoming tablescapes event on Oct. 24 at the First Baptist Church Outreach Center. Only 300 tickets are available for the tablescapes event, and they may be purchased at Luna Bella, Olive Tree, Restaurant Tyler and Whittington’s in Starkville for $50 a ticket.
Lynne Strickland also gave Past-President Kathryn Davis a life membership for her dedication and service to the club.
Hostesses for the September meeting included Linda Acy, Charlotte Harding, Ginger Jones and Cathy Kemp.
The Starkville Town and Country Garden Club strives to improve the knowledge of its members through monthly educational programs, regional workshops and the sharing of information and resources among club members and the community.
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