
I don’t have a history for Piney Green Baptist Church, but it’s a relatively old congregation. There are some noteworthy vernacular memorials in the adjacent cemetery.

There are a couple of wooden grave markers, of a style broadly referred to as “head-and-shoulders”. There are two lying on the ground in front of this example.

The wooden marker has been painted.

There are also the usual concrete memorials, with stenciled and handwritten text.

This marker is a good example of the handwritten variety, and has a shape and form imagined by its maker. I don’t think a form was used.

As this side view illustrates, a wedge of concrete was placed at the front for support; this is an unusual modification.

The crack in this handwritten memorial is indicative of just how vulnerable these vernacular objects are.

This grave is adorned with a pot, which had some connection to the decedent. This remains a common practice in many African-American cemeteries.


This is my grandfather’s church I have memories as a child here