Cemeteries Relocated by TVA

The construction of TVA projects involved the removal of thousands of graves. It was a difficult and delicate task because of the large number of graves involved and the religious and family sentiments of the inhabitants of the project areas.

TVA assumed the responsibility of moving graves from areas that were to be flooded and from isolated sites to comparable burial places nearby. The removal was done in accordance with the wishes of the next of kin, and it was TVA policy that after relocation the agency would have no further obligation for the care or upkeep of the relocated graves.

Surveys were conducted of all cemeteries in the project areas. The head end of the casket was marked, and all reinterments were made with the head toward the west, in accordance with the custom of the people of the area. A simple metal grave marker with card insert was placed at the foot of each grave for temporary identification. All markers or monuments from the original graves were moved and relocated to the new grave site.

Records stored at the National Archives

Detailed records were kept for each grave and cemetery. These records included:

Identification information and history of the graves
Agreement for removal or for allowing the grave to remain
Reinterment data, including identification and inventory of remains
Record of original and reinterment location, including cemetery plats.

All of these original records have been transferred to the National Archives, Southeast Region, 1557 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, GA. Phone: 404-763-7474. E-mail: atlanta.center@nara.gov. To view original cemetery relocation documents, please contact the National Archives directly.

Records stored at TVA

The only information remaining in-house at TVA is a cemetery relocation database compiled from the survey information. This database includes:

First and last names
Birth date, death date, and cause of death (if known)
State and county in which grave was originally located
TVA-assigned cemetery number
Year the grave was relocated
New cemetery name
Project number and new cemetery number (TVA-assigned)
New grave number (if known).

A detailed discussion of TVA’s cemetery relocation policy can be found in “The Norris Project: A Comprehensive Report on the Planning, Design, Construction, and Initial Operations of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s First Water Control Project,” Technical Report No. 1, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1940.

To request cemetery relocation information, please send us a message.