OUR PRESERVATION WORK
Island Ford Baptist Church
Buford, Gwinnett County, Georgia
A Partnership for Preservation
Our chapter’s partnership with the Island Ford Baptist Church family began in March 2021 with a single day of cleaning headstones. That first project grew into an ongoing collaboration to preserve the historic cemetery, church records, and stories of the church community.
Caring for and Documenting the Cemetery
Since March 2021, chapter Daughters and church family members have cleaned and repaired headstones, installed markers for known but previously unmarked graves, and placed flag holders at veterans’ graves.
Drone photography assisted with mapping the cemetery. Directional markers were installed, and a cemetery directory was created and posted. Find a Grave memorials were also updated with new photographs and Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.
The oldest marked grave belongs to Edmund F. Bagby, who died on September 25, 1838. Researchers can find cemetery memorials on Find a Grave under Cemetery ID 1432097.
Remembering Those Buried Here
Ground-penetrating radar identified 74 graves in the main cemetery. In an area the church family identifies as a burial ground for enslaved people, the survey identified 25 additional graves. Marty Wood handcrafted crosses to mark these locations, and a fence was installed to surround and protect the area.
On July 22, 2023, the Suwanee Creek Chapter, NSDAR, held a dedication ceremony and reception for a memorial stone honoring the enslaved individuals buried there whose names are unknown.
A second memorial stone was installed on March 27, 2025, to honor people known to be buried in the cemetery whose exact burial locations are unknown. The memorial was made possible by a private donation.
Preserving Historic Church Records
Chapter Daughters and church family members transcribed and indexed 228 historic church documents dating from 1832 to 1917. Through a Digital Library of Georgia Subgrant, these records are now available online for genealogical and historical research.
Amelia Lewis’s book, Gone, but Not Forgotten: Island Ford Baptist Church, Cemetery, and Community, was published on March 8, 2026. The book represents two years of research and includes transcripts of the church’s historic documents. Proceeds from book sales support continuing cemetery preservation at Island Ford Baptist Church.
Recording the Community’s Stories
As part of her research, Amelia Lewis coordinated and conducted video interviews with church family members and others connected to the preservation project. These interviews will be made available online through the Gwinnett Oral History Project.
Kim Landers, representing the City of Sugar Hill and the Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society, also conducted video and audio interviews with church family members and chapter Daughters. These recordings will become part of the Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society’s Interview Collection.
Honoring Veterans
Each April and October, chapter Daughters replace the U.S. Flags at veterans’ graves as an act of remembrance. Each December, wreaths are placed on 26 veterans’ graves through Wreaths Across America.
Continuing the Work
Future plans include marking the grave of a Daughter of a Patriot with support from a private donation designated for that purpose. The chapter has also identified additional individuals believed to be buried in the cemetery, although their exact burial locations remain unknown. A separate private donation has been offered to support this continuing work.
Veterans at Rest
Benjamin Martin Bagby Sr. – Confederate States of America
William Barker – Confederate States of America
Joshua Brown – Confederate States of America
John R. Burthon – Confederate States of America (location unknown)
Elias Burton – Creek War
James A. Burton – Confederate States of America
James William Dodd – Georgia Provost Guard Company
James M. Dodd – Confederate States of America
James T. Jones – U.S. Army, World War II
Sanford V. Kelley – Confederate States of America
Stephen Kile – Confederate States of America
Frank Vinson King – U.S. Army, World War II
Donal Gene Phagan – U.S. Army
Benjamin Franklin Pugh Sr. – Confederate States of America
Bascom M. Pugh – U.S. Army, World War II
David Pugh – Confederate States of America
Thomas Pugh – Confederate States of America
Willard Johnny Rogers – U.S. Army
Keith Bradford – U.S. Marines
Leroy Carlyle – U.S. Navy
Andrew J. Garner – Confederate States of America
Lewis Jackson Garner – Confederate States of America
William Garner – Confederate States of America
John Carlton Glover – U.S. Marines
Hutson William Moulder – Confederate States of America
Grady H. Jones
William James Dispain
Awards and Recognitions
This historic preservation project has received the following recognition:
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National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, March 2024
The Suwanee Creek Chapter, NSDAR was honored by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution as the third-place winner in the Historic Preservation Project Contest. The chapter also received first-place recognition in the Southeast Division and first-place recognition in the State of Georgia.
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Gwinnett Historical Society, December 15, 2022
The Suwanee Creek Chapter, NSDAR received the Phyllis & Marvin Hughes Preservation Award from the Gwinnett Historical Society.
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Gwinnett Historic Restoration and Preservation Board, December 15, 2024
The Suwanee Creek Chapter, NSDAR received the Preservation Hall of Fame Award. A plaque recognizing the project was placed on the Hall of Fame at the Lawrenceville Female Seminary.
