NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, and State Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, have secured $250,000 in state funding for the historic preservation of Rutherford County’s Cemetery Community. The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration will administer grants totaling $125,000 to Friends of Cemetery School, Inc., and $125,000 to the Mel Malone Family Foundation […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, and State Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, have secured $250,000 in state funding for the historic preservation of Rutherford County’s Cemetery Community.
The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration will administer grants totaling $125,000 to Friends of Cemetery School, Inc., and $125,000 to the Mel Malone Family Foundation to help restore the Cemetery School in Murfreesboro.
“The Cemetery Community is extremely important to the history of Rutherford County and Tennessee. I’m committed to helping preserve the legacy of the many families who lived, worked and worshiped here,” said Sparks. “I look forward to seeing the many great things these funds will accomplish so that this incredible story can continue to be shared with future generations.”
Friends of Cemetery School is led by Vincent Windrow, whose mother attended the historic Cemetery School. The Mel Malone Family Foundation was founded by Edith Moore and her family, who are descendants of Cemetery residents Sanders and Mel Malone.
“The Cemetery Community is a vital part of Rutherford County’s cultural and historical identity, and preserving that legacy is a responsibility we take seriously,” Reeves said. “This investment honors the lives and contributions of the families who built this community and ensures their story is not forgotten. I’m proud to support efforts that protect our shared history and strengthen our local heritage for generations to come.”
The organizations are dedicated to preserving Cemetery School, which was built in 1941 after the original school building, built in 1874, was destroyed. African American children from first to eighth grade were educated at the school until 1962. The structure is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cemetery Community was established by freed slaves and African American men who served in the Civil War, according to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). It is located near the Stones River National Battlefield, where one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War took place.
Carroll Van West, who serves as Tennessee State Historian and the director of MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, has called the Cemetery School “one of the best conditioned black schools we have left.”
The appropriated funds are part of a $59.8 billion balanced budget passed by lawmakers in April. Republican priorities include significant investments to improve academic outcomes, provide disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Helene, enhance public safety for all Tennesseans and increase funding to address transportation infrastructure needs.
Lawmakers also made significant investments in the Tennessee State Museum and several other heritage centers and local museums across the Volunteer State.
State Rep. Mike Sparks of Smyrna represents District 49 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, which includes part of Rutherford County. State Sen. Shane Reeves of Murfreesboro represents District 14 in the Tennessee Senate, which includes Bedford, Cannon, Moore and Rutherford counties.