08/12/2025
Tent Graves in Sparta, Tennessee:
A fascinating group of tent-shaped stone grave coverings, most over 150 years old, stand in Mount Gilead Cemetery in White County, Tennessee. The purpose of the tent-shape covering was to keep animals from getting into the graves. In the 19th century, the deceased were buried in much shallower plots, so the covering was needed to avoid tampering by animals or grave robbers.
These folk style grave coverings, called tent or comb graves, are found primarily in Tennessee, but examples have been found in Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia.
