On Thursday, May 25, at 7:00pm, I will be delivering a talk at St. John’s Church for the Historic St. John’s Church Foundation’s Walter W. Craigie Speaker Series. Titled, “Liberty and Death in St. John’s Churchyard,” the talk will offer an overview of the history of the churchyard, which is the oldest surviving burial ground in the city, and of the stories and gravestones that remain there, dating back to the 1740s. Those who have read Death and Rebirth in a Southern City or who have taken my classes know I have a lot to say about this historic yard. Tickets and info are available here.
I would love to see students, friends, and visitors at the event, especially since it will help raise money to conserve the churchyard and surrounding site. Recently, the St. John’s Church Foundation announced that it had received a $150,000 challenge grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, all of which will go toward conservation of all the gravestones in the yard as well as toward conservation of twelve stained-glass windows in the historic sanctuary at risk of damage and loss. The catch is that this is a matching grant; the St. John’s Church Foundation must raise $150,000 in funds in order to access the Parsons Foundation grant. See here for more information: https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/donate
Here’s an example of a gravestone in need of conservation:
Once it is lost, it is lost forever. Please consider supporting the St. John’s Church Foundation’s 250 campaign and joining me at the lecture.