Small cemetery on Central has rich history
A small, weathered unmarked gravestone lies in the St. John's Episcopal Church Cemetery on Central Avenue. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
The first grave that can definitively be identified is that of William Lee Lowery, just 8 years old when he died on Sept. 12, 1877.
The most recent is Richard Nichol, who died at 84 on Sept. 8, 2024, and was laid to rest on Oct. 2.
In between that 147-year span is a fascinating story about a small cemetery tucked away in the heart of the city, a one-acre spot on Central Avenue near the Pink Palace Museum that many Memphians have likely driven by hundreds of times with barely a glance. But if those passersby did notice the headstones, they must surely have wondered what a cemetery was doing among the homes on Central Avenue, so disconnected from a church or larger burial area.
“I’ve had the same feelings about the cemetery every time I drive up and down Central Avenue,” said Kim Bearden, executive director of the city’s most famous cemetery, Elmwood. “I think it’s a unique little cemetery in the middle of Midtown. I love it, and I think a lot of people find it endearing, even though they don’t know a thing about it.”
Today, it’s known as the St. John’s Episcopal Church cemetery. But when it was first developed at the corner of Central and Lafayette Street around 150 years ago, it was called the Ridge High Baptist Church cemetery.
The cemetery’s origins remain a bit murky, but based on historical accounts, it was created soon after Rufus Crawford established the Ridge High Baptist Church in 1873 at Buntyn Street and Central.
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Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
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