CSH grounds honored 2,000 markers lay in Cedar Lane Cemetary on the Central State Hospital grounds. There will be an unveiling of a new addition to the historic cemetery on Oct. 2. By Steve Marcotte - The Union-Recorder MILLEDGEVILLE - Three Central State Hospital cemeteries now have the distinction of being named on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Parks Service announced the honor for the cemeteries earlier this summer, which contains 25,000 people buried on the grounds. "We are proud to know that the Central State Hospital cemeteries are seen as historically significant to both Georgia and the nation," said Gwen Skinner, director for the Division of Mental Health, Development Disabilities and Addictive Diseases, in a statement from the Georgia Department of Human Resources. "These restored cemeteries will be a constant reminder of our past and the legacies of those who have left us but who are not forgotten." Larry Fricks, director of consumer relations and recovery section of Georgia Division of MHDDAD said the restoration project began on the cemeteries in 1997 to help improve the appearance of the historic site. The Department of Natural Resources was the lead agency that initially deemed Central State worthy of the recognition, Fricks said. "A lot of people buried there were Georgia citizens and their families. ... It is probably the largest cemetery of people with mental illness and disability in the country," he said. The hospital opened in 1842 and all people with disabilities were sent to Milledgeville until the 1930's, Fricks said. Some recent additions to the cemeteries as part of the restoration include a bronze angel as a symbol of hope and guardian looking over the cemeteries and a historical marker detailing the story of Cedar Lane section of the cemetery. Two thousand granite markers for black clients were moved in 1938 to make room for the Rivers Building, a tuberculosis hospital on the grounds, Fricks said. A marker was also placed at the site to commemorate the move. "The restoration project of the cemetery was a combination of state resources and also privately-raised money," he said. Initial funding was provided through the sale of a book outlining the history of CSH, "But for the Grace of God, Milledgeville: The Inside Story of the World's Largest Insane Asylum," stated a press release from CSH. $50,000 was privately raised and their was a combination of state and volunteer work as a joint effort on the project, Fricks explained. "The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation," stated a release from the HR Department. "It is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic resources." Fricks created a technical guide on the project called, "The Georgia Story: How to Successfully Restore a State Hospital Cemetery." "The federal government asked us to write a guide for other states on how to restore cemeteries and in checking with other states we have not found a state that had as many or more people buried on the grounds," he said. Eighteen states are currently in the process of restoring cemeteries, Fricks said. There will be a memorial ceremony to commemorate the restoration on at 2 p.m. Oct. 2, in the Mary Brown Pavilion on the grounds of CSH as part of Mental Illness Awareness Week. A new addition to the cemeteries will be unveiled. Steve Marcotte can be reached at (478) 453-1451 or by e-mail at newsroom@unionrecorder.com -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.19/93 - Release Date: 9/8/2005