History
Honoring Generations Past

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The Duluth Church Cemetery is more than just a resting place for loved ones. It is a reflection of the history and culture of a community. From the oldest headstones to the newest memorials, this cemetery tells the stories of those who have passed and the times in which they lived. Exploring history can reveal past generations' traditions, beliefs, and values.
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The land for the Methodist cemetery, consisting of two acres, was donated in 1871 by Singleton Howell, son of the founder of Duluth, Evan Howell. Ironically Singleton died in 1878 and was the first person actually buried there. There are a number of older graves, but they were moved there in later years. Those were originally in other church cemeteries, or in family plots, which were very typical in earlier years. Evan Howell, and other Howell family members, were moved from the Howell family cemetery near Evan Howell's home in Duluth, about the turn of the century. This was also true of some other burials on both sides of the cemetery.
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The Baptist cemetery is on the next hill, separated by a twelve foot alleyway. It consists of four acres. This land was donated in 1886, the same year the Baptist Church in Duluth was founded, by J. G. New and Dr. E. G. Ware. Dr. Ware has an imposing red marble, obelisk monument on the hill at the center of the Baptist cemetery.
Duluth Church Cemetery, Inc. is a 501(c)3 Corporation - and includes both the Methodist and Baptist sides of the cemetery. For years the only churches in Duluth were the Methodist and the Baptist. Many of the people who are responsible for the development and growth of Duluth and of the two churches are buried in these cemeteries. All upkeep inside the cemetery is led by the church cemetery committee, with some funding by the two churches. Both churches pay equally into a fund that pays for cutting the grass during the spring and summer. Saturday clean-up days are held in the spring and in the fall. Notices go out to cemetery volunteers and usually from 30 to 50 people turn out to help. After this a barbecue lunch is held for the volunteers.
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The old Methodist Church now stands at the end of the Baptist portion of the cemetery.
It was built in 1873 on the spot where Duluth City Hall stands now. It served as the Methodist church until 1961, when the congregation moved to the present location on Hwy 120. Several on the committee grew up in this church. The Masons purchased it later for $10,000 to serve as the Masonic Lodge.
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In the late 1990's it was purchased from them by the City of Duluth, and moved to its present location. Plans were that it will be turned into some type of community center later. The new Duluth City Hall was then built on the property.
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The beautiful fence and wall around the cemetery were funded by the City of Duluth in 2000 with SPLOST funds. This was part of Phase One of the Master Plan for Downtown Duluth, which included the Town Green. These projects were all designed by Mack Cain, a Landscape Architect, who is responsible for much of the beauty in Downtown Duluth.
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The small white concrete building at the edge of the cemetery is the Calaboose. It was built in 1909 for $500 and served as Duluth's jail until the mid 1950's. When Main Street was redone in the early 2000's the road was split into two sections to preserve this bit of history. It is opened to visitors in September every year during the Duluth Fall Festival.
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Kathryn Willis - 2016