Historic Cemetery Survey

If you have a cemetery that you would like us to survey, please complete the form here or call the Rutherford County Archives at 615-867-4609.

In 2014, the Rutherford County Archives teamed with the County OIT/GIS Department, MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, and Bradley Academy Museum to complete the Historic Rutherford County Cemetery Survey. While most of our county’s burial places were surveyed in the 1970s by Mr. Steve Cates, Mr. Ernie Johns, and the Rutherford County Historical Society, we decided to bring this data into the digital age.

Although the majority of the work has been completed, this will be an ongoing project. The goal of the Rutherford County Historic Cemetery Survey is to digitally map and record all cemeteries in our county, no matter how small, so we will be better informed about these important sites. All information gathered will be available to the general public via the Rutherford County website. We feel that our cemeteries are extremely important to our community, future planning endeavors, and for our history & heritage.

“The Rutherford County historic cemetery project is exactly the type of heritage outreach that should be happening across Tennessee. Not only will the survey help local government make better decisions and help property owners know more about these heritage assets, it also helps us at the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation train the next generation of historians and preservationists. Many thanks to Mayor Burgess for his leadership in this important project.”  -Dr. Carroll Van West, Tennessee State Historian