Jamie Ferguson, for responsibly preserving many cemeteries located on park properties throughout Montgomery County, Maryland.
Approximately seven years ago, this individual was tasked with preserving approximately 15 cemeteries that are located on Montgomery County Parks Property with absolutely no budget and minimal resources. She has managed to get fifteen cemeteries assessed, five of which were only accessible by ATV. She has managed to organize a series of workshops that included inter-agency personnel and, through her efforts, managed to ascertain inter-agency resources to help preserve the site and inspire interest within the Montgomery County Government for more in-depth training utilizing interagency resources.
Point of Rocks Colored Cemetery 1879, for the immaculate maintenance of a historical cemetery.
This African American cemetery dates back to 1879 and unlike so many other African American cemeteries, a group of descendants have worked together over 25 years to care for the cemetery. There are formerly enslaved African Americans, former veterans of the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Korean War buried there. Former slaves buried there testified in Congress about the Union Army having destroyed the historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.. Their testimonies assisted in the church winning their lawsuit. Donna Nelson herself can county four generations of ancestors buried there, an almost unheard of feat. The cemetery is beautifully maintained and they were recently awarded ownership of the cemetery by a judge after working towards this goal since 2022.
