Raleigh City Cemeteries Preservation, Inc.
Our Story
Raleigh City Cemeteries Preservation (RCCP) was founded in 2006 to promote the history of Raleigh’s public historic cemeteries, raise funds for maps and research, as well as provide conservation and preservation repairs for monuments, fences, and stone walls. RCCP was established as a 501C3 organization and incorporated as a nonprofit in the State of North Carolina.
Board of Directors
The initial board of directors came from other like-minded local historic preservation groups. Jane Thurman, Terry Harper, and Alpha Howze were transitioning off the city’s Raleigh Historic Districts Commission, with an idea to create a separate board to support the cemeteries. Ray Hinnant and Betsy Shaw, representing the Wake County Historical Society, brought their complaints about the neglected City Cemetery to the Raleigh city manager. In response, city staff hired a consultant to craft a strategic plan for advocacy and care of the historic sites.
Michelle Pacofsky, as marketing director of Oakwood Cemetery (later an RCCP board member), helped to bring others to the group, remembering those who expressed concerns to her about the substandard conditions of City Cemetery. The fledgling RCCP held their first meeting in 2006 at the Olivia Raney Local History Library.
With the support of RCCP board members, the late Margie Haywood, her daughter, Betsy Haywood, and cousin Sandra Walker, RCCP’s first fundraiser was a cocktail party held outdoors at Haywood Hall in Raleigh. The well-attended event formed the basis for support and membership of RCCP.
RCCP board members brought diverse experience in history, research, historic preservation, landscape architecture, legal issues, marketing, graphics design, as well as a shared love of historic cemeteries. Jane Thurman served as chair, and later president. Terry Harper, vice chair, and Betsy Haywood were trained in archaeology, helpful for field work. David Brown, a landscape architect, served as board secretary, whose tenure was followed by Lucy Pittman. Christine McDonald, a marketing director and designer, served as treasurer. Board members Ray Hinnant later served as chair, and Betsy Shaw as treasurer- and storyteller. Robin Hammond, an attorney, oversaw and crafted the paperwork for RCCP’s 501C3 designation. David Permar, an attorney, was also a top fundraiser. Charles Blunt had an interest in databases, critical to updating cemetery records, who along with Betsy Shaw created City Cemetery’s Shaw-Blunt database.
Other board members included Shelby Lynn Reap, Diana Mauney, and John George, who all served as board chairs, and Sarah Woodward and Emily Grant, who served terms as secretary. Orrin “Ray” Haywood served numerous consecutive terms until our final year of operation.
Gaston Williams and Brenda Holloman also served past terms. Bill Sandifer provided professional photography for RCCP. Over the years, advisors to RCCP included Robert Rader, Janet Cowell, Karen-Marie Allen, Dan Becker, Greg Hatem, David Black, Edna Rich-Ballentine, and Martha Ashby.
Preservation Work
Our preservation and conservation work by the experienced preservationist and restoration expert Dean Ruedrich was completed over a 12-year span until Dean’s death in 2019, after his battle with leukemia. Under Dean’s careful craftsmanship, RCCP funded restoration of more than 100 monuments located in City Cemetery, Mount Hope Cemetery, and O’Rorke-Catholic Cemetery in Raleigh.
Historic Designations
Ruth Little, historian, author, and expert on historic cemeteries, successfully wrote and researched the 2009 National Register of Historic Places designations for City Cemetery and Mount Hope Cemetery, and the Local Historic Landmark Designation for O’Rorke-Catholic Cemetery in 2011.
Technology Uses
Photos and location of markers included in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) maps were completed by local engineering firms Withers & Ravenel for City Cemetery in 2009, and mapping for the Mount Hope Cemetery historic section by KCI Associates in 2015. These GIS maps and data were later donated to the city of Raleigh. In 2019, RCCP partnered with the City of Raleigh to fund Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) mapping for the 1.5-acre enslaved section of City Cemetery, with astonishing results showing more than 1,000 individuals interred there, mostly in unmarked graves.
City Support
The ingredient for our long-term success before RCCP disbanded in 2023 was an excellent working relationship with city of Raleigh staff- the basis of a successful private-public partnership. Through perseverance and dedication, RCCP also developed solid relationships within the community, schools, colleges, and civic and preservation groups seeking to fund public projects, as well as descendants of ancestors interred in the cemeteries.
In 2009, with the urging and support of RCCP, the Raleigh City Council established the city of Raleigh Historic Cemeteries Advisory Board (HCAB) to provide guidance for board members and accomplish work goals for the historic cemeteries. Several RCCP board members served terms on the HCAB, which still exists today.
Our Research Collection
To share years of research and information gathering, RCCP has donated papers and photographs to the Olivia Raney Local History Library. The research of historian Betsy Shaw, the foundation of our database, maps and tours is included in a separate collection at the library.
Our Mission Statement: to help the City of Raleigh promote and provide preservation and restoration of city-owned cemeteries and assist with programs to enhance education and heritage tourism.
