A Google search unexpectedly yielded this pretty accurate AI summary of Lane Street Project:

The Lane Street Project is a community-driven conservation collective in Wilson, North Carolina, dedicated to recovering, documenting, and restoring three historic, neglected African-American cemeteries: Odd Fellows Cemetery (est. circa 1900), Rountree Cemetery (est. circa 1906), and Vick Cemetery (est. 1913). [1, 2, 3]

Founded in 2020 by local historian Lisa Y. Henderson, the initiative has transformed these long-abandoned spaces into recognized, sacred historic sites. [1, 2]

📜 The Tragic History & Reclamation

• The Vick Cemetery Mystery: Vick Cemetery served as a public burial ground for Black residents until it was condemned in the mid-1950s. Following decades of city neglect, the Wilson City Council voted in 1994 to clear the property, resulting in the complete removal and destruction of all existing tombstones. They replaced them with a single central monument. [1, 2]
• Uncovering the Truth: In response to pressure from the Lane Street Project, the city conducted a ground-penetrating radar survey. The survey revealed 4,224 underground graves—nearly triple what was originally estimated—lying just beneath the surface without their original markers. [1, 2]
• Remembered & Restored: In October 2026, the project successfully advocated for the placement of comprehensive interpretive signage and permanent granite boundary markers to officially honor the thousands of ancestors resting at Vick Cemetery. [1]

🛠️ Volunteer & Preservation Efforts

The project organizes an active, multi-generational corps of volunteers during its cleanup seasons: [1]

• Physical Restoration: Clearing decades of overgrown brush, invasive wisteria, fallen limbs, and dumped trash to reveal lost headstones. [1]
• Historical Mapping: Formally registering the cemeteries with the North Carolina State Office of Archaeology and charting their boundaries on Google Maps. [1]
• Genealogy & Archiving: Compiling comprehensive public databases of known and probable burials from death certificates and extant grave markers, as well as preserving records dating back to the 1760s. [1, 2]

To better support long-term research, funding, and maintenance, the collective established a formal 501(c)(3) non-profit called the Friends of Lane Street Project. [1]

If you want to support or participate, I can find information on:

How to join an upcoming Season 7 volunteer service day

Where to follow their community event schedules and updates

How to view their burial databases for genealogical research

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