Following more than 15 years of proactive succession planning, on Feb 3, 2023, the Board of Directors of the FV Cemetery Company Inc. publicly announced their intentions to dissolve their non-profit organization effective on July 1, 2023.
As directed by the organization’s founding Articles of Incorporation, they are now planning to turn over both historic properties and all associated business assets – including more than $3M in cash reserves – to the City of Roanoke, effective July 1, 2023.
Once our case Is fully made, we expect the public will support and City Council will agree to take over these assets and manage these two historic cemeteries, starting on July 1, 2023.
Roanoke City Council has been asked to hold a public hearing over the next coming weeks to officially consider the transition plan and then to vote on whether to accept this proposed transfer plan. This is an important vote that will have significant impact on local families, neighbors of both properties, and the preservation of local historic records. As such, the matter concerns all area citizens.
The FV Cemetery Company Inc. is committed to transparency throughout this process. If you would like to be notified when the hearing is scheduled or be more generally kept up to date on this public decision process and the public discourse that may surround it, please provide your contact information below.
Transition Information Contact Form
Did you know?
Fair View Cemetery contains graves that date back to the war of 1812. While the cemetery was founded in the late 1800s, many family cemeteries from across the region have been moved here over the last ~140 years.Both Cemeteries help document and memorialize tremendous local history. These cemeteries serve as the final resting place for 10 local Mayor’s, (2 from Big Lick, 8 from Roanoke), thousands of veterans from 6 different wars, members of the Virginia State Legislature, United States Federal Judiciary, United States Congress, and many other notable people and families who helped to build the City of Roanoke.
Additional Resources:
Fair View Cemetery and Cedar Lawn Memorial Park Fact Sheet
List of more than 60 other municipal cemeteries across the Commonwealth
Script notes from the June 24, 2021 meeting
City Council request for public hearing and vote delivered February 2, 2023
A long tradition – serving the Town of Big Lick and the City of Roanoke
Fair View Cemetery and Cedar Lawn Memorial Park serve as the final resting place for more than 30k people and continue to meet the interment needs of our community each and every day. The properties have room to handle the traditional and cremation interments needs of the Roanoke Valley for several more generations.