Leon County commissioners unanimously approved a permanent museum structure at Munree Cemetery, bringing the Munree Cemetery Foundation one step closer to honoring the people buried there.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
President Wilbert Ferrell has been maintaining the cemetery since 2009, with a focus not just on landscaping but on honoring those buried there.
"I got a lot of family buried here, and I also have a sister older than me that was buried that I never did get to know. I think she was about 12 or 13 years old when she died, so I don't have no idea, you know, where she's buried at," Ferrell said.
The cemetery was created in the early 1900s for sharecroppers and tenant farmers on Welaunee Plantation.
Ferrell's work led to the discovery of 250 graves in 2012.
After nearly two years of trying to secure permits, commissioners unanimously voted to approve the permanent structure.
Site plans show the museum will be 1,081 square feet and will house artifacts and cemetery research, according to information on the foundation's website.
Project Engineer Tarrence Smith described what visitors can expect inside.
"When you go in, you're going to be able to look out. We're going to have a glass facade facing down so you can see the graves from within," Smith said.
He says the foundation is still working to secure another permit before putting out a bid.
The next step is securing funding.
"It's important to give the men and women that were buried here the dignity that they may not have gotten at a certain point in their lives," Smith said.
Ferrell said the history behind the cemetery drives his commitment to the project.
"It sort of goes through your body to wonder that your people was brought over here like animals, you know, and that's kind of stimulates me or makes me feel more like I need to be responsible for doing this," Ferrell said.
The foundation is collecting donations online to support the effort.
***This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.***
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
