This cemetery is on the property of and behind the Solomons Temple Missionary Baptist Church in the Blair's Gap area of Sullivan County. Photographed and transcribed on July 29, 2004 by Gary Sawyer and Donna Briggs, members of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. The cemetery contains only a few marked graves and nearly 50 graves marked with only field stones. It was impossible to get an accurate count.

It is relatively safe to assume that other Crawfords, of the locale and time prior to the Shipleys taking possession and for whom burial data has not been proven, are interred here. It's also unlikely that additional interments have taken place since Isaac Libby Clark was interred in 1915. We therefore ask that additional memorials not be created without substantial evidence.

Thanks to Karon Simpson for her research efforts which are the basis of the following information.

The cemetery is believed to be located on land purchased by John Crawford (ca 1750 – ca 1817) from William Goad in 1804. Due to the loss of records, little is known of how this property passed through John Crawford's heirs, although some court records reflect disputes among some of them.

Per Sullivan County Deed Book 32, pages 333, 335 and 342 and Deed Book 39 page 455, on the date of Martin L. R. Crawford's death, 17 Dec 1881, 3 tracts of his estate, totaling about 60 acres, were deeded to William Park Shipley and 1 tract, about 11 acres, was deeded to David Shipley, William's father.

Here is what we know about Solomons Temple's acquisition of their property.

On 11 Mar 1892, William Park Shipley and Amanda Carr Shipley donated 1 acre to Solomons Temple. It is believed this is the property where the church now stands. The deed is recorded in Sullivan County deed book 53, pages 25 and 26.

On 2 Apr 1906, William Park Shipley and Amanda Carr Shipley donated 1/6 acre to Solomons Temple. The deed is recorded in Sullivan County Deed Book 83, page 22. This property was donated for the purpose of "preserving the cemetery and for further use as a burial lot." The deed noted that A. K. Mullenix and William Carr were already buried there and a plot was reserved for Amanda's mother, Sarah Carr. This is the site of the Solomons Temple Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery.

On 20 Apr 1995, Solomons Temple purchased, from Lora Shipley, the property where the Crawford Cemetery and the fellowship hall are located. The deed is recorded in Sullivan County Deed Book 1068C, pages 341 – 344. Lora was the daughter of William Park Shipley and Amanda Carr Shipley and the widow of Claude Ellis Shipley. Claude Ellis Shipley was the son of Thomas Bertsie Shipley, Sr. and Ida Myrtle Crawford, daughter of George Washington Crawford and Sarah A. Mullins Crawford.

It is hoped that others may be able to provide more clarifying information.