Hidden in the woods behind a shopping center on Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek is a small slave cemetery.
The Macedonia African Cemetery is all that’s left of The Macedonia African Methodist Church that once stood where affluent St. Ives Country Club is now.
The people buried in the cemetery were former slaves of the plantation owner Maj. George Morgan Waters. Per the terms of Water’s will, the slaves were freed after he died in 1852.
In the 1800s slaves were not buried with headstones or on cleared land. They could only be buried in the woods, according to Johns Creek Post writer Jennifer Jensen.
The freed slaves used money provided by Waters’ will to buy small headstones for the graves.
Fulton County was responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the slave cemetery until Johns Creek was incorporated in 2006.
Then Johns Creek city government neglected the cemetery and it became a dumping ground for trash and a homeless encampment.
A group of neighbors in the St. Ives Country Club shamed the City Council members into removing the homeless encampment.
Now the Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising company has plans to erect a huge LED billboard within 500 feet of the slave cemetery.
The GA Dept. of Transportation initially denied the billboard permit because no billboards can be erected within 500 feet of the cemetery.
But money talks… so GDOT sent out an archeologist to re-measure the cemetery.
According to Jensen, the GDOT archeologist and her 2-person crew “came late and left early.”
The GDOT archaeologist determined the planned billboard was 545 feet away from the cemetery. The City Council approved the billboard in violation of state law.
Jensen explains that “the law is intended to provide a solemn place for the souls and relatives” of the former slaves.
This slave cemetery is a small piece of African history. It would be a shame if Johns Creek allowed Clear Channel to desecrate the slave cemetery with a billboard.
If you care, please call the city of Johns Creek and ask them to deny the permit for the billboard near the Macedonia African Cemetery.
The number to call Johns Creek city offices is (678) 512-3200.
Or you can email the Johns Creek mayor and City Council members directly:
Mayor Mike Bodker: Mike.Bodker@johnscreekga.gov
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Lenny Zaprowski: Lenny.Zaprowski@johnscreekga.gov
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Jay Lin: Jay.Lin@johnscreekga.gov
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Cori Davenport: Cori.Davenport@johnscreekga.gov
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Bob Gray: Bob.Gray@johnscreekga.gov
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Stephanie Endres: Stephanie.Endres@johnscreekga.gov
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Steve Broadbent: Steve.Broadbent@johnscreekga.gov
