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Rocky Mount staff pursue deeds, plats to consolidate Unity/Cedar Hill annex cemetery properties
Summary
City staff presented a plan to clarify ownership and seek donations or plats for multiple parcels that contain burials at Unity Cemetery and the Cedar Hill annex, and said they will pursue statutory options to gain control of abandoned cemetery parcels.
A city staff member presented maps and a proposed path to consolidate multiple parcels that together make up Unity Cemetery and the adjacent Cedar Hill annex, telling council that several small parcels containing burials lack clear deeds and that some parcels are privately owned.
The presentation identified multiple private owners including members of the Warner family for one tract, Fenner Tobacco Warehouse Company for another tract, and a parcel owned by Gentry Restoration LLC that staff said had been sold to a resident of Fuquay Varina. The presenter said there are burials on those privately owned tracts and that at least one parcel historically deeded to families (names shown as Penny, Lawrence and Simpson on older records) has no known heirs after four title searches.
Staff plan: the presenter said he had asked the Warner family if they would consider donating the Warner parcel to the city and had reached out to the other private owners to request permission to prepare plats that would carve out the cemetery portions from larger parcels. If owners agree, staff would seek recordable plats for the cemetery pieces and accept donations of those carved-out parcels into city ownership.
Statutory avenue and management: the presenter said North Carolina statutes include a process for gaining control of abandoned cemeteries and indicated the city will seek legal assistance to determine applicability and next steps. If the city obtains ownership, staff said they will then determine a long-term management approach; prior work inventorying graves and researching burial locations will continue. "There are burials in this property... this piece of property has no deed to it. There's apparently never any deed connected to it," the presenter said.
Community input and records: council members noted community groups and volunteers — including a group led by Marion (Marianne) Lewis — have worked on grave research and maps; staff said existing records are stored at the Imperial Center’s Arts Education Building and that the city will continue cleanup work (parks crews have performed winter clearing) while pursuing the title and plat work.
Next steps: staff will continue outreach to private owners about carved-out plats, pursue statutory remedies where no heirs exist, coordinate with volunteer researchers, and return to council with proposals to accept and manage cemetery parcels if owners agree to donate or if the city pursues statutory acquisition.
