Adopting a Plot means that you make a commitment to clean up a cemetery plot by removing debris (including weeds, trash, vines, etc.) and to keep it clean by checking the site every month or so during the growing season. Some of the plot sites are in relatively good condition and will take only a minimum of work to keep them that way. Other plots have become totally overgrown by vines, weeds and trees and would require a person in good physical condition to reclaim the site. If you are a person who has an interest in history and/or just want to make a contribution of your time and talent to cleaning up this small part of the East Atlanta community, please contact Dennis Taylor at
404-381-0244 and he will help you select a plot that will be a fit for you.

If you want to help in this civic effort but don’t have the time or physical ability to do the work, you can contribute a tax-deductible donation to the Sylvester Cemetery Foundation. Instructions are in the “Make a Donation” section on the Homepage of this website. The money will be used to buy granite chips, pea gravel, plants and other landscape products that are needed in restoring walkways and beautifying gravesites as they are cleaned by volunteers.

Jerry's Notes - 7/26/06:

The Adopt-A-Plot program has taken off with five more cemetery neighbors stepping up and volunteering to provide maintenance on grave plots for families that can no longer do it themselves.

Paula Pavlosky has adopted the Carroll/Sappington family plot. She spent several hours raking and bagging leaves and sprayed the plot with Roundup to kill the weeds. Paula is rooting hydrangea bushes at home to transplant to her new plot this fall.

Lucy Corzon adopted the James & Zemma Brown and the Thompson family plots. She chose those plots because she loves magnolia trees and there is a huge (at least 100 feet tall) one towering over these plots. She and her partner (Barbara) worked very hard to remove all of the brush and raked and bagged magnolia leaves and pods. We are hoping to get some advice from an arborist on pruning the magnolia. One of the lower limbs (as big around as my waist) is hanging precariously over the John & Martha Brown plot and it needs to be cut.

Michael Hellerstein has adopted the John Russell Palmer, Elbert F. Harris and Mary Jane Howell family plots. These plots contain the remains of three of our Civil War veterans, among other family members. I have cleared the brush off the plots but they need to have stumps removed and a little TLC. Taking on four family plots is a big undertaking but Mike's goal of making a difference in his neighborhood is what this program is all about.

Larry Johnson has adopted the Thurman family plot. They are his ancestors on his mother’s side and that plot needs quite a bit of work. It is overgrown with large trees and many of the stones are tilting from their roots. The wall surrounding the plot is in good shape, though. Dennis cut and removed two large trees that were leaning over the walkway in front of the Thurman plot. One was dead and we were afraid that it would fall and damage the front wall of the Thurman plot and the adjacent Terry plot.

Al Oakes has adopted the Palmer family plot. He is distantly related to the Palmers and has big plans for his adopted plot.

I have taken photos of these plots and will post them below as “before” and “after” when the work is completed.

Jerry's Notes - 8/23/06

Joe & Betty Allen Smith have adopted the two Allen family plots. Mrs. Smith is descended from the Allens. Plot #1 is in the Old Sylvester Church Cemetery south of Braeburn Circle and Plot #2 is in Terry Family section of the Sylvester Cemetery north of Braeburn.

James Robinson adopted the Meadows family plot and the Yancy family plot which are adjacent to the East Gate on Nash Ave. He weed whacked the plots (and several others) on Saturday, August 19th during our "monthly clean up".

Phyllis Cole & Johnny Carson have adopted the Arch Carson family plot on Clifton Road, which is near his family's plot (Fiddlin' John Carson), and the Long family Plot on Nash Ave. Johnny is related to the Longs but not to Arch Carson.

Jerry Semprevio has adopted the Stanley-Clay, Stanley, Webb and Wiley-Fortson family plots along Nash Ave. I hope to refresh the crushed stone and plant some azelea and hydrangea bushes this fall on these plots after thinning out some of the smaller trees which block the sunlight.

Jerry's Notes - 12/1/06:

Kim Copeland and Mike Bynum have adopted the Brown-Bradbury, McMichael, Dyal & Holloway Plots. They are located in the center of the cemetery and are all enclosed by concrete or stone walls. This is a particularly ambitious undertaking because the Brown-Bradbury plot has several large trees and stumps needing removal or pruning. Kim and Mike have bought the house across from the cemetery on Nash Ave and our new neighbors are doing a great job on that property so we hope they do half as good a job on their plots. Thanks so much for your hard work!

Dennis Taylor (the Cemetery Foundation president)has adopted the Jake & Annie Hall plot and the Thomas & Mary Jane Terry plot. The Terry plot has problems which he will try to address, there are several stumps that need removal, trees that need to be severely cut back and the small stones for the two children (Sylvester and Jasper) are broken and need to be mortared to new bases.

Stephen & Christi Phillips have adopted the large walled plots for the Pittman family and the Terry Brothers plot. Both plots are located right on the Meadow in the Old Terry Family Cemetery section and will need weeding and sprucing up. They live in the neighborhood and are often seen walking their dog on the shady paths at Sylvester Cemetery.

Mr & Mrs Leroy Mathews have adopted the Mathews and Robison (Robinson) family plots. The folks buried in both of these large plots are ancestors of Mr. Mathews.

Family Plots Cleaned Under Adopt-A-Plot

Carroll/Sappington Family Plot Before Cleaning	Carroll/Sappington Family Plot Adopted by Paula Pavlosky
James & Zemma Brown Family Plot Before Cleaning	James & Zemma Brown Family Plot Adopted by Lucy Corzon
Thompson Family Plot Before Cleaning	Thompson Family Plot Adopted by Lucy Corzon
John R. Palmer Family Plot Before Cleaning	John R. Palmer Family Plot Adopted by Michael Hellerstein
Mary Jane Howell Family Plot Before Cleaning	Mary Jane Howell Family Plot Adopted by Michael Hellerstein
Elbert F. Harris Family Plot Before Cleaning	Elbert F. Harris Family Plot Adopted by Michael Hellerstein
Thurman Family Plot Before Cleaning	Thurman Family Plot Adopted by Larry Felton Johnson
Palmer Family Plot Before Cleaning	Palmer Family Plot Adopted by Al Oakes
Allen Family Plot #1 Before Cleaning	Allen Family Plot Adopted by Joe & Betty Allen Smith
Allen Family Plot #2 Before Cleaning	Allen Family Plot Adopted by Joe & Betty Allen Smith
Meadows Family Plot Before Cleaning	Meadows Family Plot Adopted by James Robinson
Yancy Family Plot Before Cleaning	Yancy Family Plot Adopted by James Robinson
Arch Carson Family Plot Before Cleaning	Arch Carson Family Plot Adopted by Phyllis Cole & Johnny Carson
Long Family Plot Before Cleaning	Long Family Plot Adopted by Phyllis Cole & Johnny Carson
Stanley-Clay Family Plot Before Cleaning	Stanley-Clay Family Plot Adopted by Jerry Semprevio
Stanley Family Plot Before Cleaning	Stanley Family Plot Adopted by Jerry Semprevio
Webb Family Plot Before Cleaning	Webb Family Plot Adopted by Jerry Semprevio
Wiley-Fortson Family Plot Before Cleaning	Wiley-Fortson Family Plot Adopted by Jerry Semprevio
Daniel E. Moore Family Plot Before Cleaning	Daniel E. Moore Family Plot Adopted by Jerry Semprevio
Bradbury-Brown Family Plot Before Cleaning	Bradbury-Brown Family Plot Adopted by Kim Copeland & Mike Bynum
McMichael Family Plot Before Cleaning	McMichael Family Plot Adopted by Kim Copeland and Mike Bynum
Dyal Family Plot Before Cleaning	Dyal Family Plot Adopted by Kim Copeland and Mike Bynum
Holloway Family Plot Before Cleaning	Holloway Family Plot Adopted by Kim Copeland and Mike Bynum
Hall Family Plot Before Cleaning	Hall Family Plot Adopted by Dennis J. Taylor
Thomas & Mary Jane Terry Family Plot Before Cleaning	Thomas & Mary Jane Terry Family Plot Adopted by Dennis J. Taylor
Pittman Family Plot Before Cleaning	Pittman Family Plot Adopted by Stephen & Christi Phillips
Terry Brothers Family Plot Before Cleaning	Terry Brothers Family Plot Adopted by Stephen & Christi Phillips
Mathews Family Plot Before Cleaning	Mathews Family Plot Adopted by Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Mathews
Robison Family Plot Before Cleaning	Robison Family Plot Adopted by Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Mathews