Behavior Cemetery
Why it's listed
Behavior Cemetery is an African-American burial ground in the center of Sapelo Island, Georgia, roughly a mile and a quarter west of the Hog Hammock community. About 200 graves are marked, mostly with locally made cement stones, along with some granite markers and metal funeral home tags. Many more graves are unmarked. The earliest dated stone is from 1890, though tradition holds that burials began in antebellum times, possibly growing out of a slave burial ground near Thomas Spalding's plantation quarters. Graves are arranged informally rather than in rows, and families still leave belongings of the deceased on them. It is the only historic African-American cemetery left on the island and serves the surviving Hog Hammock community, replacing an earlier cemetery lost in the 1898 hurricane. The listing rests on its role in community life, its reflection of Black burial customs and landscape traditions, and its potential to yield archaeological information. It continues in use today.
Significance in brief: It is the only remaining historic African-American cemetery on Sapelo Island and is still used by the Hog Hammock community. The nomination argues it reflects African-American burial customs, informal landscape layout, and community development, and that it could yield archaeological information. It is also treated as a traditional cultural property.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000915, listed August 22, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S end of Sapelo Island, 1.25 mi W of Hog Hammock, Hog Hammock |
|---|---|
| County | McIntosh County |
| Listed | August 22, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000915 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | c.1865-1946 |
| Architectural style | None (architectural classification listed as NONE) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Black |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in active use as a cemetery; a new fence, sign and a noncontributing maintenance shed (moved there in 1995) have been added. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Within district | Sapelo Island Lighthouse |
| Coordinates | 31.42872, -81.28097 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000915.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16950960
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.