The Knoxville Civil War Roundtable is assisting the Bethel Confederate Cemetery with some projects on May 30th and June 6th. The three areas they need help with are listed below along with the equipment we’d ask you to bring by project. We’ll be working from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on both days.  

  1. Headstone Cleaning: Patrick from the Mabry-Hazen House will demonstrate the proper cleaning method. Things to bring for doing this project:
  2. 2-3 buckets for wash water
  3. gentle kitchen sponges, non-abrasive
  4. 1-2 small garden sprayers for rinse water
  5. Headstone Catalogue: Another project is cataloging headstones. Where are the standing ones located? Which stones are broken or need shoring up? They also have a number of stones that have been disturbed from their original locations, which prior caretakers have lined up along one fence. Whose stones are there? Cataloging what we have on-site will assist us in figuring out where those stones belong. Clipboards, pens, and sheets for gathering information will be provided.
  6. Garden Bed Reclamation: Some assistance in the garden beds with weeding, identification, and clearance as needed. These beds are chock full of lilies, irises, and other plants that haven’t been separated in decades, and it’s quite a snarl that the cemetery has never had the manpower to focus on. Folks are welcome to take home some extra plants for their own gardens. Things to bring for doing this project:
  7. garden gloves
  8. garden tools for digging, separating, and pruning plants with rhizomes and bulbs
  9. buckets or containers to take home extra plants   

      Things to know about the cemetery:

  1. Entrance and exit to 1917 Bethel Ave is at the small gate next to the mailbox. The small gate is never locked during the day, but it can be difficult to work the latch if you don’t know the trick (which will be shown to you). The large double gates stay closed and locked.
  2. We have street parking only. Please park along our side of the road, close to our mailbox. Please do not park across the street, as this blocks our living neighbors’ street parking access. It’s recommended that the side mirror be folded.
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