Little Hope Cemetery is an community church cemetery with over two hundred burials dating from 1857 to the present. A majority of the markers are commercial tablets, blocks and obelisks in marble and granite. Professional engravings include Biblical and personal epitaphs, as well as symbols to commemorate fraternal orders. There is at least one example of cement plot liners. Other markers include natural and hewn fieldstone tablets, many of which are inscribed. There are also several inscribed fieldstones set flush to the ground. There are poured, concrete markers with inscribed epitaphs, and, unique to Little Hope Cemetery, concrete markers with nailed address-style lettering. Some of these markers have been reset in concrete by the family members.



The Little Hope Cemetery landscape includes several architectural features. A one foot high retaining wall made of fieldstone lines the road cut and a small wooden fence marks the north west boundary. One family plot is marked by a mortared fieldstone wall, and there is a chain link and post fence, painted black, decorating one burial. The vegetation is sparse with one lone pine decorating the cleared, grassed cemetery.



Little Hope Cemetery is regularly visited by family and tourists. It is also decorated by family members. In addition to plastic flower arrangements, there are permanent metal hangers for hanging floral baskets. The cemetery boundaries appear to be clearly marked by the tree line, however, there are at least a dozen fieldstone marked burials following the ridge that extends beyond the tree line on the south. In this section of the cemetery, the fieldstones are not inscribed.



The cemetery is associated with Little Hope Baptist Church, which was originally located across the street, but was moved after park acquisition of the property. The church building also served as a school. Little Hope School was one of the older schools in the region, operating at least as early as 1872. Little Hope Baptist Church served an important role in the community. Activities there included Sunday services, revivals, and funerals. Decoration Day is remembered fondly as an all day meeting and dinner on the grounds.



Directions:

Cemetery access is good, though there is no sign identifying it. The cemetery is clearly visible from the road and there is a small parking lot across the street. Because of the high visibility, many tourists stop and visit this cemetery.