Well-known and little-known people, many of whom shaped Wake Forest’s history or even the state’s history, lie in Wake Forest Cemetery on North White Street, but who is left to tell their tales? Several people speak for the dead of Wake Forest each year during the annual cemetery walking tour, which this year will be on Saturday, May 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
It is a self-guided tour – stop at the tent at the entrance to get the free map with significant graves marked and, if you have children, a map with photos and sites highlighted to help them learn about the cemetery’s historical significance. But at a number of graves you will find family members or people interested in history who will recount the lives of those who lie there.
Also, members of the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans clad in contemporary Civil War uniforms and carrying unloaded Civil War firearms will be at various graves to share the tales of the soldiers who fought in that war. Members of the women’s auxiliary wearing dresses and bonnets from that era will also participate. Members of the Wake Forest High Junior ROTC under the direction of Colonel Dimitri Belmont will assist with a short opening and closing ceremony.
The tour is sponsored by the Town of Wake Forest and the Cemetery Advisory Board.
Admission is free and open to the public. Limited parking will be permitted in designated areas of the cemetery. Overflow parking will be available in the lot adjacent to the CVS Pharmacy at the intersection of North White Street and East Roosevelt Avenue.
Android and iPhone users can have a handy pocket guide to the Cemetery Walking Tour by downloading the Town of Wake Forest app and using the app’s “Wake Forest Cemetery Tour” function. Offering smartphone users instant access to important details about the cemetery tour, the function also includes a link to the new cemetery virtual tour.
IPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android users can download the free app by searching for “Town of Wake Forest” on iTunes, in the iPhone app store, or in Google Play or by scanning the appropriate QR code provided at www.wakeforestnc.gov/app.aspx.
In case of inclement weather, updated information about the tour will be provided on the the town’s Facebook page and by calling the Wake Forest Weather Line at 919-435-9569. Smart phone users who have downloaded the Town of Wake Forest app will receive a push notification message informing them of any schedule changes. In the event of rain, the tour will be rescheduled for May 21.
Area residents are also invited to visit the town’s website and view the Wake Forest Cemetery Virtual Tour. Available at www.wakeforestnc.gov/cemetery-tour.aspx, the virtual tour provides users a unique historical perspective of the cemetery through the use of a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Offering an aerial view of the Wake Forest Cemetery, the interactive application shows red icons denoting notable and historic gravesites, including burial locations for Samuel Wait, the first president of Wake Forest College; Thomas Joseph Byrne, New York Yankees pitcher and Wake Forest mayor; and Sophie Lanneau, member of the first graduating class at Meredith College and Baptist missionary to China. Simply by clicking on one of the red icons, visitors can learn where a historical figure is buried, gain fascinating insight about the person by reading a brief bio, and – in most cases – view their picture.
For more information about the Historic Wake Forest Cemetery Walking Tour, visit wakeforestnc.gov and search “Cemetery Tour” or contact Betty Pearce at 919-435-9570 or bpearce@wakeforestnc.gov.
