In 2022, the City of Smyrna, Georgia selected Darling Metals to design and build a special new entryway arch for the Mount Zion Cemetery. A WBSV-TV news segment featured this work, and its historical significance.
Originally established in the late 1800's, this historic Black cemetery was nearly lost to many years of overgrowth and neglect. However, in 2019 the city recovered and spent significant resources to restore the land, headstones, and resting places. An in-depth article here details all the amazing efforts that went into restoring this important place.
Images carved into the century-old headstones, and stories from the living descendants informed the design elements that went into the creation of this memorial arch. At the rededication ceremony, the families and congregations that remain connected to those buried within the cemetery gathered to sing "Amazing Grace" and celebrate this reclamation of their sacred land, with a new arch to commemorate it.
Capturing the stories and symbolism of those connected to this project was essential to creating a work that would properly honor this site, and careful research went into its design. We at Darling Metals are proud to have contributed to this honorable project, and to assist in uplifting an important piece of Black history.