Mecklenburg County Home or Poor House Cemetery

This cemetery was for the residents of the Mecklenburg County County Home, which was originally located nearby. Residents who could not provide for themselves became the responsibility of Mecklenburg Co. On January 3, 1939, a decision was made to place markers on the graves, using money from the Poor Fund Emergency Fund. Each marker was to be 8 inches wide, 2 inches thick, and from 20 to 22 inches high. The gravestones are all facing W. T. Harris Blvd. Because this cemetery was used before desegregation, there is a separation of graves. The earliest known burial was 1930. The cemetery is located in a wooded area that cannot be seen from the street. Access is provided by a narrow drive between the cemetery and a shopping center.

Documentation

(1) Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners Minutes, 1/3/1939

(2) William J. Charles survey for the Mecklenburg Genealogy Society on 3-10-1985

(3) The Charlotte Observer, 2/3/1993, "The Mecklenburg Neighbor", page 3.

(4) Rosemary Lands, Pam Rasfeld and Jane Johnson abstracted these burial records from tombstones in 11/2001.