Welcome to Evergreen

About

Established in 1847, Fayetteville Evergreen Cemetery is approximately ten and one-half acres and contains approximately 3200 known burials. Fayetteville Evergreen Cemetery serves as the final resting place for many of Fayetteville’s and Northwest Arkansas’ most prominent citizens. Buried here are the early settlers, soldiers, statesmen, lawyers, doctors, educators, and bankers of early Fayetteville.

Learn more about our unique history by clicking the button below.

Cemetery Open Hours

Hours

8:30 a.m. – 30 minutes before sundown

Evergreen Cemetery is open from 8:30 a.m. until thirty minutes before sundown.  The gates are secured by the Caretaker.  No trespassing after hours is allowed.  No person shall enter the cemeteries except through the gates or walks.

For more information regarding visiting the cemetery, please view our policy handbook by clicking the button below.

Expand to see The 2020 Annual Report of Accomplishments

Though 2020 has been anything but normal, it has been a good year for Fayetteville Evergreen Cemetery.  Angela McKnight have officially designated Evergreen as a Covid-Free Zone and have continued working all year.

We must give Angela the “Volunteer of the Year” Award.  She and I have worked tirelessly on the Official Burial List.  She has cleaned and recruited help from help her husband, brother, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity men and me to clean headstones.  She has photographed and edited all of the headstones for our new website.  WHEW, she WINS!

1. The Official Burial List is COMPLETED (well, it may never be done… I’m sure we’ll find someone we missed, but I don’t see how). We have searched sources including:

    1. Odd Fellow’s and Mason’s List – June, 1885-April, 1903
    2. Grave Digger’s List – 1904-1921
    3. Evergreen Minutes and Sales – 1915-1954
    4. Evergreen Secretary’s Notebook – 1927-1942
    5. Evergreen Lot Owner’s – 1915-1941, 1941-1958
    6. Articles about Evergreen Cemetery in the Washington County Historical Society’s publication, Flashback.
    7. Walter Lemke’s 1955 list of those buried in Evergreen born before 1840
    8. 1985 Washington County Genealogical Society Cemetery Reading – 1985
    9. Craig Vogel list Angela McKnight photography list – 2012
    10. Mark Reynold’s Caretaker list of headstones
    11. Birth and Death Certificates
    12. Arkansas Death Index
    13. Obituaries in early Fayetteville Newspapers

2. The Official Burial List (as of Nov. 1, 2020) has been turned over to Charlie Alison who is editing it for publication. You remember that you approved printing an initial 10 copies.  We will be using a print on demand basis and will be able to sell those through the publisher. I think we can sell them for at least $25 each.

3. Work on the Fayetteville Evergreen website is progressing. This is quite an undertaking getting all of the information about the Cemetery and its policies and at the same time, including a detailed list (with pictures and bios) of our residents.  I think it’s something you are going be very proud of.

4. A “reading” of the cemetery was completed. This involved walking the cemetery and confirming location of all headstones and footstones.  The last reading was done in 1984 by the Washington County Genealogical Society.

5. As a result of the “reading”, a comprehensive list of maintenance items was prepared. This will enable us to better budget for the future.

6. $25,150 in plot sales plus $1,000 for refundable headstone deposits was collected. A balance of $2,500 is still owed on one sale.  Sales were to McKnight (3 plots- $7,500), Stegall (2 plots – $5000), Blime (1/2 plot – $1650), Allen (2 plots – $5,000), Bickell (4 plots – $6,000 paid, $2,500 owed – $1500 paid in 2019).

7. Ten maple trees were planted (5 along the south entry drive and 4 along the northwest fence In Evergreen I). Ten stumps were removed.  Two volunteers have been coming regularly to the cemetery and removing vegetation.

8. The carver will be in the cemetery the first week of December to add DODs (Date of Death) to ten headstones missing dates.

9. A cemetery tour was done in October for OLLI participants. Despite misty weather, 20 people attended (all but one who had registered).

10. Initial research was done for the established for a “Friends of Evergreen” group, a 501 c 3 organization. This group would assist in fundraising and program development.

11. Policy was changed to allow only 3 cremains with headstones allowed in a single burial plot.

12. Headstone cleaning workday was held with Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity pledges. Approximately 70 pledges attended.

13. Tree planting and headstone cleaning day was held with Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Approximately 40 Pike pledges helped out.

14. Donations were received from Sandra Brooks, Genevieve Pennington/Velma Hall Trust for website, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity for D2 and an anonymous donation for D2.

15. Bob Young finished repairs of monuments in Evergreen l, which were started in 2019.

16. Dowser Terry Davis has assisted in locating and identifying burials in older portions of Evergreen. His work was marked by Bob Young.

17. Find a Grave was updated.

Expand to see The 2019 Annual Report of Accomplishments
  1. Progress continued on Official Burial List.  Sources used included 1984 Reading of the Cemetery, Grave Digger’s List, newspaper obituaries 
  2. Association list, other lists prepared by Washington County Historical Society.
  3. Grant received for north half of east wall for repointing and stabilization from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
  4. Grant was submitted and declined by AHPP for east and south wall repair.  Suggestion by them to resubmit for 2021 grant cycle.
  5. Archibald Yell monument dedication was held on April 27.  Featured speakers included Maylon Rice (Washington County Historical Society), Hugh Kincaid, Worthy Master of the Masonic Lodge, and Mayor Lioneld Jordan.
  6. Preentation was made to Military Officers Association on Evergreen and its residents.
  7. Presentation of an Olli class on Archibald Yell.
  8. Need was established for a “Friends of Evergreen” group, a 501 c 3 organization.  This group would assist in fundraising and program development
  9. A plaque was discussed for the UA Sesquicentennial, recognizing close connection between UA and Evergreen.
  10. Policy was adopted that “no one else can be buried in a family plot without a headstone being set”.
  11. O. E. Williams family descendants traded Shreve 66 lot for the west ½ lot in Shannon 34.
  12. Board approved a resolution to be sent to Royce and Susan Robertson for repairing their family lot wall and straightening monuments in Shreve 28.
  13. Donation was received from Vera Hall and Genevieve Pennington Trust account.
  14. David Richardson cleaned tombstones as a part of his Eagle Scout project.
  15. Workday was held for vegetation cleanup with the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
  16. Bob Young repaired approximately 25 headstones in Evergreen I.
  17. Signs indicating “Plots were for Sale” were put at north and south entrances.
  18. Board voted to mark “Unreadable Stones” with 6” x 12” stone.  Five were purchased initially.  Others will be purchased as funds permit.
  19. Donation was received by Mrs. Palmer Hotz for a tree in memory of her husband.
  20. Geophysical surveys from Dr. Ken Kvamme were received.  His analysis was marked by Bob Young in order to determine gravesites in Evergreen IV.
  21. Dowser Terry Davis walked the Evergreen I, II, III, and IV sections and identified burials.  His work was marked by Bob Young.