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JOHN GREEN
John Green started the first school, Student Retreat in Burnt Corn around 1820. The "Green Street" area in Burnt Corn is probably named after John Green.
“JOHN GREEN CEMETERY, CONECUH COUNTY: War of 1812 veteran John Green (1790-1882) settled in Burnt Corn in 1816. He held many public offices, established the first school, and represented Conecuh County in the state legislature in 1824 and 1829. He was the Conecuh delegate to the 1861 (Secession) Convention of the People of Alabama and the 1875 Constitutional Convention. ‘He is allowed to be, even by those who oppose his sentiments, a man of unimpeachable character, a worthy citizen, and a kind obliging neighbor’ (The Southern Evangelist, 1835). ‘It may be truly said that he had but few if any enemies, and no man who ever lived, so far as he was known, had more friends’ (Mobile Register, 1882). LISTED IN THE ALABAMA HISTORIC CEMETERY REGISTER IN 2010, MARKER ERECTED IN 2013 BY THE JOHN GREEN CEMETERY PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION.” ----- 0 ----- Green, who was born in South Carolina in March 1790 and died at the age of 92 in Conecuh County in July 1882, served in the First Regiment of the Georgia Volunteers during the War of 1812. During his life, he worked as an attorney, a farmer and educator. He also served as a state legislator as indicated on the marker. The John Green Cemetery, which has recently undergone restoration due to damage from Hurricane Ivan and logging operations, is located off of Conecuh County Road 15, about one mile from that highway’s intersection with County Road 5. The cemetery contains about 20 graves, and the oldest grave in the cemetery dates back to Oct. 17, 1817. The cemetery also contains the graves of Civil War service members. Historic John Green Cemetery at Burnt Corn, AL
Conecuh's John Green, b 8 March 1790 in Abbeville County, SC & d 7 July 1882 in Conecuh County, AL is buried in the historic cemetery that bears his name near Burnt Corn in Conecuh County just off the Old Federal Road. According to a biographer, John was an "amazing man whose life spanned the presidencies of George Washington to Grover Cleveland. He was largely self-taught, but achieved much in his lifetime. John was an Alabama pioneer; served as an attorney; was a successful farmer; established a school in his community in which he also taught; and was a state representative during some of this country's most trying times. John Green was an honorable man and a well-respected citizen of his community." If you would like to find out more information about him, you can access his family files at The Evergreen-Conecuh County Public Library Archives; the Alabama Department of Archives and History; and also online at many websites.
In 2011, the John Green Cemetery Preservation Association received a grant with the Alabama Historical Commission to restore and preserve this historic cemetery. Over the past year, members of the families interred in this cemetery have been working hard to preserve, repair, and restore as much of the cemetery as possible. The AlaTrust, Inc for The Lowery Family of Burnt Corn, AL have given the John Green Cemetery Preservation Association access to the cemetery in order to restore and preserve the historical cemetery and we are eternally grateful for their cooperation in this process.
The Cemetery is located in Section 26 of Township 7 North, Range 9 East, on lands formerly owned by John Green, Sr., about 16 miles northeast of Evergreen, AL. It is about 100 yards up a hill on the right side of the highway (CR15) coming from Evergreen and is near the village of Burnt Corn. The cemetery is surrounded by a four foot iron fence.
This past month, family members from Oregon, Mississippi, and Texas have been here working on the cemetery. Ground penetrating radar was completed, and several more graves were discovered, some outside the fencing area; cleaning and repairs to the graves were made by Mr. Charles Thomas of Eagle Eye Masonry; and the grass has been cut, weeds mown down; fencing been repaired and painted; planter boxes are being constructed and native plants will be planted; an arbor similar to the original gravehouses once located at the cemetery is being constructed; and other items on the 'to do list' are being checked off. The photos being shared here are just a few of the ones that will be indicative of all the hard work being completed. If you want to see a success story about a long-ago, seemingly-forgotten cemetery, let me take you on a tour of the Historic John Green Cemetery!
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