ROANOKE, Va. – As a local nonprofit prepares to dissolve, it’s requesting that the City of Roanoke preserve two area cemeteries filled with centuries of history, according to a press release.
The FV Cemetery Company’s Board of Directors said its members are aging and their health is deteriorating, which is why the nonprofit will cease operation on June 30.
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The company currently owns the Fair View Cemetery and Cedar Lawn Memorial Park, two active cemeteries with history dating back as far as the War of 1812.
Of the more than 30,000 individuals who were buried in the cemetery and memorial park, there are thousands of veterans and 10 mayors of Big Lick and the City of Roanoke who were laid to rest there. There are also members from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Federal Judiciary and a number of people who died during the 1918 Flu Pandemic.
The company says their nearly 15-year search for a suitable private sector to take over the grave sites was unsuccessful. So now they are hoping to turn over both properties and all its associated business assets, including more than $3M in reserves, to the City of Roanoke, effective July 1.
While an official public hearing date has not been set, Roanoke City Council has been asked to hold one within the next few weeks.
During the meeting, city officials will review the transition plan and vote on whether they accept it.
To learn more about the historic sites, click here.