Photos of GPR Survey

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ABOVE: 

Photos showing the process of clearing the half-acre lot behind the old funeral home. This was a huge undertaking which involved the city arborist to ensure the proper disposal of trees and brush. After several phases, the area was completely cleaned, grass was sowed, and erosion barriers were installed to avoid mudslides and washouts.

BELOW:

Photos of Len Strozier of Omega Mapping Services conducting the ground-penetrating radar survey between March and May 2023. The event attracted news media from Charlotte. Project partners included the library, the City of Statesville, and the Statesville Branch NAACP. All were present for this momentous occasion.

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BELOW:

Local history librarians Joel Reese and Shellie Taylor team up with Scott Stevenson, who is over the Fourth Creek Cemetery and has experience cleaning headstones, to uncover anomalies discovered by the GPR. The goal was to uncover more buried headstones, but there were not as many as were hoped for. Rocks, brick, and glass accounted for most of what the GPR found below the surface. However, there were several full and partial headstones uncovered.

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BELOW:

At the recommendation of the surveyor, stainless steel metal bolt markers were purchased and placed at every unmarked grave. Two events were hosted by the library inviting the community to install these bolt markers. Library staff were joined by Lowes Home Improvement at one of these events. In total, over 65 people participated in these programs. Now each grave is marked either with stone or metal. For generations to come, every soul at this cemetery is remembered.

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