Piney Grove Cemetery, located on Canterbury Road in Atlanta, is a rare example of a historic African-American cemetery that pre-dates the Civil War.  Piney Grove Baptist Church purchased land in 1899 according to Fulton County records.  Significantly, included in the purchase was “an old cemetery” where enslaved people were buried.  The Cemetery includes headstones for individuals born pre-Emancipation.

Piney Grove Cemetery holds over 300 graves, some of which are believed to be burials for enslaved individuals. This historic site is a significant resource for Atlanta and has been determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The irregular burial patterns, the variety of hewn and native gravestones, and the terraced landscaping are unique features that give Piney Grove Cemetery a distinct historic character and makes it significant as a historic cultural landmark. 

The church building for Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church was demolished after it suffered storm damage in 1996, and the cemetery has been threatened by highways and high-end residential developments for a number of decades.

However, descendants and community members have fought to ensure permanent public access and care of the burial ground.  Piney Grove Baptist Church, with the adjoining Piney Grove Cemetery, was first sold to a real estate developer in 1997. In 2006, the same real estate developer requested that the Cemetery be relocated. Descendants successfully opposed the relocation and managed to preserve this important piece of cultural heritage.

The developer did, however, obtain a special use permit to build condominiums adjacent to the cemetery. The new owner was granted a variance by the City of Atlanta Zoning Committee: U-06-13, which was adopted as amended by the Atlanta City Council on November 6, 2006 and approved by then Mayor Shirley Franklin on November 14, 2006.

Conditions For U-06-13 for 788, 846, 856 Canterbury Road includes Conditions 2 and 3 as noted below: 2. Clear access must be provided to the cemetery. 3. The cemetery will be maintained by the homeowners association. 

Notwithstanding Condition 2, the current access does not allow for parking, transporting equipment to remove down/dead trees or removal of extensive foliage overgrowth. There is no signage for the Cemetery. 

In our view, the condominium homeowners association has never complied with Condition 3, the obligation to maintain the historic Piney Grove Cemetery. It is our opinion that this has resulted in the Cemetery’s current dire condition. 

Today, the cemetery is bordered on all sides: by GA 400 on the west and a mid-rise condominium development on the remaining sides. The burial ground is at risk from overgrowth of vegetation, dead and dying trees, and, we believe, a general lack of care.

The Cemetery's history is not only African-American history, but American history, Georgia history, Atlanta history, and Buckhead history. Additional research can identify who is buried in the 256 unmarked graves. Are there African American Union or Confederate soldiers? Are there community leaders? Are there individuals who could not afford a permanent marker letting the world know they existed? 

The continued physical existence of Piney Grove Cemetery is invaluable and must be restored and maintained for future generations.