Cemetery Improvement Projects
When the Big Fork Church and Cemetery (and surrounding) property was acquired by the Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc. in 2022, some major improvements were desperately needed. Read about those improvements below.
Number 1 - Driveway from the public (Double Bridges) road up to the cemetery and old church site
For many years, the only public way to get to the cemetery was through a walk-in gate along the Double Bridges Road and up a very steep and rough dirt path. People with limited mobility could not climb the hill and, if they did, there was a good chance they would slip and fall on the way back down. Falls occurred frequently.
A couple hundred yards beyond the walk-in gate was a drive-in gate, but it was an entry into the property owner’s cow pasture. And there was no road per se up the very steep hill. Only certain trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles were able to drive up the hill over the grassy path and terracing humps without potential damage to the vehicle. When the soil and grass were wet, even trucks or four-wheel vehicles might not be able to make it to the old church site and cemetery.
Because the property surrounding the cemetery was owned by a farmer, we were not able to build a road from the public road to the cemetery and church site. One of the main reasons for the purchase of the 3.222 acres around and including the cemetery was to build a good road to it so that more visitors would be able to visit this historic site.
However due to the steep ascent, it took a couple of years, with input from experts, as to where and how to build the road to avoid major erosion problems and provide reasonable access.
June-July, 2024
Road Construction Cost = Approximately $24,000
Number 2 - Gates (walk-in and drive-in) into the property
The drive-in gates needed to be wide enough that large vehicles could access the property. The gates needed to be recessed deeply enough away from the Double Bridges Road to allow visitors to park safely off the road.
Number 3 - Fence around the entire 3+ acres
Because the land around the cemetery and church site property is pasture for cattle, it is essential that a fence be constructed around the entire tract purchased by the Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc. The fence will protect the property from damage and messes created by cattle. It will also allow us to remove the current fence around the cemetery and improve the view of the cemetery. In order to erect a fence that will last for many years (well after the current officers of the Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc. board members have passed away) the quality of the materials and construction used in building this fence must exceed what might be considered normal for an ordinary farm fence.
This is a preliminary drawing for cemetery fencing. I estimate we will need 90 5-6″ round posts; 5500 feet barbed wire; one roll of brace wire; 13 5″ brace posts; 9 8″ square posts for North side of entrance; 35 treated 8′ boards; one 16′ gate; screws to install boards; 2-3 bags of quickrete per wooden post; maybe 20 t posts for wooded south side; two sides of the entrance will be finalized once we see where the road will actually be.
My drawing has the entrance at 60′ wide by 72′ deep.
The entrance must have square posts so that the boards will screw down flat. The barn wire will not attach to the square posts so that it doesn’t pull the entrance apart. The double brace with round posts is 6″ from the end square post.
-Jean Ann Haston Hall
June-July 2024
Fence & Gates Construction Cost = Approximately $18,000
A donor has already offered to match – dollar to dollar – any donation for either of the above projects up to $25,000.
Please consider making a donation to help us preserve such a valuable historic site.
Some Future Projects
Once these initial projects have been completed and fully funded, there are several other projects we want to pursue:
Beautify the cemetery with appropriate shrubs, flowers, trees, etc. — erect a historical marker with information about the Big Fork Church and Cemetery — improve the parking area on top of the hill near the cemetery — construct a facsimile of the old log church building that was there in the early 1800s — create a picnic area for reunions of descendants who are buried in the cemetery, perhaps with a gazebo and other features suitable for historic sites, such as this 200+-year-old cemetery and location of one of the oldest churches in Middle TN.