The Brick Church Silver Creek Church was established on November 22, 1798, chartered as a Baptist Church, the first Protestant Church in the Indiana Territory.
Silver Creek Cemetery is a unique historic treasure. The “Brick Church” having been rebuilt from original brick in 1861, stands today in excellent condition, thanks to the oversight of the Cemetery Association. Monuments date back to 1805, according to best-known records. A number of years ago (probably in the 1980s), between 90 and 100 graves of former members of the old Silver Creek Church were moved from nearby Worrall Cemetery to Silver Creek Cemetery. These people were members of the Worrall, McCoy, Rogers and associated families who, split from Silver Creek Church when the majority of the members chose to "leave the Baptist faith" and become an independent Christian congregation as a result of the Restoration Movement led by Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone and others in the late 1820s and early 1830s. |
Cemetery Maintenance
From time to time it is necessary to do some maintenance at the cemetery. The Silver Creek Cemetery's Board of Directors reserves the right to manage the grounds in a way that will insure it is maintained in perpetuity for our loved ones who are buried there, and for those who will be in the future. Therefore, when trees, flowers, baskets or other articles are either deteriorated or create obstruction, we will dispose of these items. This will usually occur in late March and early May, prior to the annual meeting. Future clean-up dates will be posted on this website. We appreciate your support and help in keeping the cemetery beautiful.
Restoration Fund
In 2015 the Association Board of Directors established a restoration fund. The fund will be used for the care and professional restoration of the historic features of the cemetery. This would include monuments, in addition to other features such as the stone fence and elements of the church structure that are not considered maintenance. A dollar amount will be set aside annually in this fund, and projects will be identified and prioritized. We hope to create an inventory of monuments in need of attention and prioritize them based on condition, urgency. A running list of the prioritized monuments will be maintained, and a professional would be contracted to restore as many elements as budget allows.
Stone Fence Restoration
An ongoing project for the last several years has been restoration of a section of the beautiful stone fence that borders a portion of the oldest part of the cemetery. Paul Garcia, formerly of Sellersburg and now of Louisville, is volunteering his time to restore the fence, using the centuries old technique of dry stacking. He is truly an artisan, carrying on a traditional trade of yore. He has carefully repaired around 30 feet of fence over the last 2-3 years, on his own time, and single-handedly. It's hard work but the final product is amazing.
An ongoing project for the last several years has been restoration of a section of the beautiful stone fence that borders a portion of the oldest part of the cemetery. Paul Garcia, formerly of Sellersburg and now of Louisville, is volunteering his time to restore the fence, using the centuries old technique of dry stacking. He is truly an artisan, carrying on a traditional trade of yore. He has carefully repaired around 30 feet of fence over the last 2-3 years, on his own time, and single-handedly. It's hard work but the final product is amazing.
Monument Restoration
In 2022 the Restoration Fund was able to begin repair of some of the oldest stones in the cemetery. Many stones have sunk into the ground, are broken, or covered with lichen and illegible. One row at a time and as funds allow, we will slowly upright stones, place them on bases where needed, and clean the stones with the same type of application used on famous monuments such as the Washington Monument in D.C. It is an expensive process so we can only restore a few stones at a time. Last year we were able to complete six short rows in front of the church. Some are in need of professional restoration and will have to wait until another time, but those that were cleaned and straightened look amazing. Names heretofore illegible are now able to be recorded.
In 2022 the Restoration Fund was able to begin repair of some of the oldest stones in the cemetery. Many stones have sunk into the ground, are broken, or covered with lichen and illegible. One row at a time and as funds allow, we will slowly upright stones, place them on bases where needed, and clean the stones with the same type of application used on famous monuments such as the Washington Monument in D.C. It is an expensive process so we can only restore a few stones at a time. Last year we were able to complete six short rows in front of the church. Some are in need of professional restoration and will have to wait until another time, but those that were cleaned and straightened look amazing. Names heretofore illegible are now able to be recorded.
Perry Monument
The first project which was undertaken was completed in the fall of 2015. It was the Perry Monument, the largest monument in the cemetery. The foundation of this monument was crumbling at the ground and parts of it has fallen away at the top. It was just a matter of time before the stone on top would have caved in. The Cemeterial Association contracted with Stone Dry Masonry, who did an incredible job of restoring this monument while retaining much of its original features. Thank you Jason the Mason! We appreciate your work and the respect you paid to the original structure.