Coburn-Baker Cemetery Plans

While many of the following topics are contingent upon Civil War Augusta becoming a non-profit organization, we thought we should share some of the ideas we have for the Coburn-Baker Cemetery to bring it to a state where it is publicly accessible all year 'round.

PHYSICAL Tasks

While much work has been completed in removing invasive species from most of the property, we still have the western fencelike to clear. We will be tackling this on November 4th for those who can join us. Clearing this fence line then will allow passers-by driving along Kentucky 19 to see through the cemetery, probably for the first time in decades (we hear from local residents quite often that they did not know there was a cemetery there). After cleaning the fence line, we will have another task: removing some of the small trees in the cemetery as there are several that hinder easy movement. We want to keep enough trees to provide shade as well as have the next generation of trees in place, but there are currently too many to keep them all. This task requires some creative cutting as we do not want to drop trees onto the stones. And speaking of stones, that is another labor intensive project - resetting the toppled stones back into place. This will take careful work as many need to have a level surface created for the base, then heavy lifting to get the upper sections (for those multi-part headstones) aligned and upright.

Behind the Scenes Tasks

As the cemetery doesn’t seemed to be owned or claimed to be owned by anyone, it will take some effort with the county to determine actual ownership with a goal to secure the property as an asset for Civil War Augusta (post non-profit status). This opens up questions about insurance and taxes, plus any other costs the organization might need to take on.

The cemetery also has an opportunity to be designated as a Kentucky Pioneer Cemetery. The criteria for this designation is as follows, with commentary as to if the cemetery meets each specific criteria:

(1) The cemetery was established and receiving burials by 1842. (Documented by photographs of the pre-1842 grave marker or other historical documentation) - Johannes Becker’s stone is dated 1808.

(2) The boundaries of the cemetery can be documented. - relatively so based on tree lines.

(3) The graves of individuals who were living in Kentucky prior to 1800. - John R. Baker was born in Bracken County in 1797.

(4) A cemetery for which over 10% of the existing gravestones are for individuals who died prior to 1850. - Twenty-one of the fifty-seven burials occurred prior to 1850 (37%).

(5) For a large municipal cemetery only that portion that contains graves with dates prior to 1842 and 10% of existing gravestones of individuals who died prior to 1850 will be considered and designated as a Kentucky Pioneer Cemetery. - Coburn-Baker is not a municipal cemetery.

(6) The cemetery has been cared for and cleaned of debris. - This is an area for concern as a regular maintenance schedule needs to be developed and adhered to.

(7) The cemetery has been mapped, according to accepted methods of mapping. - not currently mapped, but it would only take a couple of volunteers spending a few hours.

(8) The cemetery is registered with the Kentucky Historical Society’s Cemetery Preservation Program. Cemeteries accepted as a Pioneer Cemetery will become a part of KHS’s inclusive Registry of Kentucky’s Pioneer Cemeteries. - There is an application process for this designation.

(9) The cemetery is marked with a Kentucky Historical Society’s Pioneer Cemetery Marker designating the cemetery as a Kentucky Historical Society Pioneer Cemetery (optional.) - Cart before the horse as this marker can be obtained once the cemetery is approved as a pioneer cemetery.

(10) Documentation of the GPS coordinates for this cemetery. - Easily done using Google Maps.

VISUAL ENHANCEMENTS

There are some other things that can be accomplished that would encourage visitation. One would be to create a gravel parking area with a path leading from it up into the cemetery. Another would be to add a couple of benches for folks to sit and enjoy the peaceful and historic setting. Another would be to add some areas of pollinator plants that would not only encourage bees and other pollinators but also provide some beauty. These could be placed in areas where there are no headstones. A few native trees can be added in strategic places, especially those that have colorful spring blossoms. Additionally a cemetery sign and a flagpole would also be nice additions, bringing attention to the cemetery. Sections of worm fencing could be added, perhaps in each corner, to give the cemetery a pioneer look while defining the property boundary. 

As you can see, there are a lot of tasks to complete and possibilities to bring Coburn-Baker to a more prominent position within the county. It is an historic property, positioned on the Mary Coburn farm, with its tie to the Battle of Augusta, the Baker-Bird Winery, and the American Revolution.