Emanuel United Church of Christ Cemetery
Why it's listed
Emanuel Cemetery, beside Emanuel United Church of Christ near Thomasville, covers about 2 acres and holds roughly 500 gravestones. About 100 of them cluster behind the church around a group of old cedar trees. These are locally made and are the earliest markers, dating from 1808 to 1873. The church land was deeded in 1813 and the first church built in 1814, originally as a union church that became Reformed by 1925. The congregation was far from the county's major gravestone workshops, so no single school of carving dominates. Three markers are attributed to David Sowers and three to John Rickard, one of them for a Reichard family member, which suggests this may have been Rickard's home church. Another group is credited to the "Modern Master," described as the last folk stonecutter of consequence in the county. The decorated soapstone stones, with sunbursts, tympanums and religious symbols, led to the listing as an example of local folk art.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cemetery holds a unique collection of folk gravestones carved by local stonecutters in the late 18th and first half of the 19th century. The decorated soapstone markers with resurrection and eternity symbols are described as the height of folk art among the Anglo-German farming community of north Davidson County. The site also has stones attributed to John Rickard and to the "Modern Master," the last folk stonecutter of consequence in the county.
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 84001997, listed July 10, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SR 2060, Thomasville |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | July 10, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001997 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Stonecutters unknown; some markers attributed to David Sowers, John Rickard and the "Modern Master" |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Cemetery in fair condition, on its original site, owned by the church and open to the public without restriction. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.84290, -80.11525 (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 84001997.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5369158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.