30.4 - Preservation Austin - Betheny Cemetery — original pdf

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July 2, 2024 RE: Bethany Cemetery Historic Landmark Dear Chair Heimsath, Vice Chair Featherston, and Members of the Historic Landmark Commission, Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. We write today in support of designating Betheny Cemetery as a City of Austin Landmark for its Historic Associations, Community Value, Archeology, and Landscape Features. We commend Sue Spears and the Betheny Cemetery Association for their tenacious advocacy in preserving and celebrating this incredibly significant site of Austin’s Black heritage. Betheny Cemetery was formally established in 1893, though burials at the site date to as early as 1879. The first Black cemetery in Austin, Betheny opened after Oakwood Cemetery ran out of room for Black graves in its small, segregated section. The Bethany Cemetery Company, formed in 1893 by William Holland, Henderson Rollins, Allen Bradley, and William M. Tears, maintained the site until 1933. Bethany Cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of Black Austinites, including graves of formerly enslaved individuals. Betheny Cemetery tells the story of Austin’s Black community, from slavery and Jim Crow to the present-day advocacy and education efforts of the Betheny Cemetery Association. In alignment with our Underrepresented Heritage Advocacy Priority, we commend the Historic Landmark Commission for taking the initiative to protect one of Austin’s most significant sites of Black heritage. We wholeheartedly support the designation of Betheny Cemetery as a City of Austin Landmark. Thank you for your consideration and your service to our city. Sincerely, Melissa Barry, President