On August 18, 1999, a small family cemetery located on the south side of Washington Road in the community of Martinez (Figure 1) was investigated by Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. The cemetery is depicted on survey plats as a 70 x 55 ft. block adjacent to Washington Road; it is bordered on the other three sides by a parking lot for Milton Ruben Auto Mall. The study was undertaken to ensure that Columbia County is in compliance with Georgia Code Section 36-72, which states that a permit is required for developing land on which a cemetery is located. There are plans to widen Washington Road and thus encroach on the plot.
As currently planned, the proposed new right-of-way will include about a quarter of the cemetery. Preserving the cemetery in-place may not be feasible; due to a railroad located on the north side of Washington Road, it may not be possible to shift the right-of-way to avoid the graves.
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