Savannah cemetery shows improvements following reports of disrepair

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) — A Savannah cemetery is showing significant improvements a few months after WTOC revealed overgrown plots and broken headstones at the facility.

Hillcrest Abbey East on Wheaton Street now has cut grass, taped-off broken headstones and active maintenance workers on the grounds. The changes come after WTOC first reported on the cemetery’s poor conditions in July.

At that time, the cemetery’s primary operator admitted management and maintenance had been lacking but said new management was coming.

“The news story hit the day that I started, so we had a lot of families, a lot of complaints and a lot of people calling demanding a reason why this happened and my plan of action,” said Kirby Pulliam, cemetery regional general manager.

Equipment upgrades and staffing changes

Pulliam said the cemetery has upgraded equipment, added staff and focused on cleaning up neglected areas since the story aired. The primary goal over winter is to fill in sunken grave plots to raise them to level ground.

He estimates it will take about two years to get the 40 acre cemetery back to good condition.

Pulliam says that his staff have started working their way from the back of the cemetery to front. “We have started at the tree line and will be continuing to work our way up to the front,” said Pulliam.

Pulliam says that he is not only in charge of both Hillcrest Abbey locations on Wheaton Street and Dean Forrest but also 3 others around Savannah.

“I tell families, give me six months. You will be able to see changes in six months, but we have a total two year plan that will get us back on track.” Pulliam tells WTOC.

The improvements have provided relief to Stephen McDonald and Rhonda Stafford, who have several family members buried at Hillcrest Abbey. As they came to place flowers for the holidays, they were pleased by the progress.

“It was very nice to come out here today and something came up on a lawn mower and say, ‘would you like us to trim around the headstones,’ that is an improvement I would say,” McDonald said.