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Decatur preservation commission announces searchable cemetery database, grant wins and restoration planning
Summary
The City of Decatur’s Historic Preservation Commission reported completion of a searchable GIS cemetery database, survey results for several cemeteries and multiple grant awards and projects, including planning work for Old State Bank and Delano Park.
The Decatur Historic Preservation Commission presented its 2024 annual report to the City Council and highlighted a newly searchable cemetery database, recent grant awards and several ongoing restoration projects.
The report, presented to the City Council by a commission representative, said the Magnolia Sykes Cemetery project was completed and recorded 82 marked graves and 707 anomalies — possible unmarked burials — using ground survey and GIS mapping. The commission said the cemetery results are incorporated into an online map on the city website, and staff worked with the city’s GIS team to add a search bar so visitors can find grave markers by name.
Commission staff said the state preservation office has named the Magnolia Sykes work a model project for other certified local governments. The commission also completed a survey of Lafayette Cemetery that identified 25 markers and nine anomalies. Staff reported that a survey of Austinville concluded that the neighborhood no longer retains enough historic fabric for a National Register district but could qualify for historical markers.
The presentation listed several ongoing and planned projects: schematic and funding work for the Old State Bank restoration, a cultural landscape plan and historic structure report for Delano Park, a conditions assessment for the Carnegie building, updated National Register nominations (including a nomination expected to be on the state docket in September), and expansion of the Second Avenue Albany commercial district effort to allow more properties to access federal and state historic tax credits.
The commission summarized grant activity over a five-year span: eight educational trust fund grants, 10 Certified Local Government (CLG) grants, two additional state grants, one PASS grant and a National Park Service grant. The commission also said it had 18 applications for work in the locally zoned historic districts during the most recent year, totaling just under $1 million in project value; 63 of the applications were fast-tracked for administrative review and the commission reported a roughly 97% approval rate for applications handled that year.
Commission staff also discussed the commission’s role under CLG status — surveys, review of National Register nominations, public participation and access to CLG-targeted grants and technical assistance from the State Historic Preservation Office — and recommended exploring an arts commission to coordinate on public sculpture and markers.
The presentation closed with recognition of continuing public outreach, podcasts documenting local historic resources and plans to submit additional nominations to the state for federal review.
