A Cherokee County church is seeking help to research and care for a historic cemetery on its property.

Fields Chapel United Methodist Church members want to clean up and survey the cemetery on the grounds off Highway 20/Knox Bridge Highway near Lake Allatoona west of Canton.

The earliest grave in the cemetery dates back to 1853, according to Stefanie Joyner, executive director of the Cherokee County Historical Society.

"All the cemeteries are important, especially those that date back that far," she said. "I am heartened that the congregation has decided to take this on."

The Rev. Anne Rex, pastor of the church, said the project is important "to honor the history of the area."

She said the church has done some maintenance of the cemetery, such as mowing the grass, but has not done a major cleanup.

"We really would like to make more of an effort," she said, such as cleaning tombstones and putting in better landscaping. "We don't even have a sign."

She said the church also wants to survey the cemetery to make sure it has a record of who is buried there and if there are any unmarked graves. In 1950, when construction of the Allatoona Dam was completed, graves from a separate cemetery that would have been underwater were moved to the Fields Chapel cemetery.

"That could very well be possible," she said about having burials that are not marked in the cemetery. She said the survey is needed as well to make sure that there are not any unmarked graves and to help the church decide on how to expand the cemetery.

Ms. Joyner said the historical society is helping by putting the church in contact with others who have completed this kind of project.

"Hopefully, our members will step up as well," she said, adding that keeping up a cemetery is not easy and can be expensive.

The Rev. Rex said the church will feel "so much better" once it gets a survey of the cemetery done.

"We need to verify we have those spots available," she said about the possibility of someone asking about being buried next to a loved one in the cemetery.