Red Bank, Trust for Public Land restoring historic cemetery

RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF) – The city of Red Bank is teaming up with a preservationist group to restore a long-forgotten cemetery.

Called “The Field”, this historic cemetery was only recently discovered during construction of the White Oak Park Connector Trail.

The cemetery, abandoned since 1913, was primarily used to bury African-Americans during the early 20th century, and has since fallen into disrepair according to the Trust for Public Land.

Currently, the site is deep in the woods and inaccessible to the general public, and has no gravestones, only iron makers.

The entrance to the White Oak Park Connector Trail.

Additionally, some of the property the cemetery is on is currently private property.

Red Bank Parks and Recreation Director Jeffery Grabe, said, “I think some of the short-term goals, is working with the Cemetery Advisory Board, the TPL, and any of the other stakeholder groups that we bring in… with figuring out how down the line in the future to obtain those property rights, if need be, with TPL leading that as a separate thing.”

The Trust for Public Land tells News 12 that this project is likely to take months and ask interested people to wait on a path to be constructed to the cemetery after they complete restoration work before seeking out the site.

They believe over 2,000 people were buried at the cemetery.