Friends Of Eastern Cemetery Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer group that is in the process of restoring one of Louisville's oldest cemeteries.
Eastern Cemetery is located at 641 Baxter Avenue in the heart of the Highlands in Louisville Kentucky. Eastern Cemetery is one of Louisville's oldest and most neglected cemeteries. After the grim discovery that there are 138,000 people in only 16,000 graves, the cemetery was shut down in the 1980s and basically abandoned. Due to neglect, the monuments and buildings have decayed.
University of Louisville professor Phil DiBlasi has been making a continuous effort to help the families of the deceased. We have teamed up with him, Dismas Charities, and the Attorney General to assemble a volunteer group. This group cleans up garbage, weed eats, mows the grass, and repairs monuments. All of our volunteers have been trained in the proper cemetery restoration techniques and use the appropriate equipment and products based on the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.
One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is helping the descendants of those buried at Eastern Cemetery. In the past, family members and friends of the deceased have not been able to find the grave sites due to high grass, disorientation, and sadly because the former owners moved stones around. When a person needs help finding the sites, we clear a path and then regularly maintain that area. However, if they do not know the burial location, our team can help them figure it out. Information such as names, birth and death dates can be used to search the cemetery documentation, which is curated by Professor DiBlasi.
It is sad that the previous owners of the cemetery took advantage of grieving loved ones and mishandled human remains. It is also sad that Eastern Cemetery was invisible to Louisville’s residents for years except those who vandalized. Our group is trying to turn this around!
We need YOU to do this! We need people with lawn mowers, weed-eaters, chainsaws, rakes, leaf blowers, and any other basic lawn tools. We also need people who have big hearts and want to help Eastern Cemetery. Our community of volunteers is truly amazing! Please come out and see for yourself.
