Preservation Announcement: Yarbro Farms Tract at the Jackson Salem Cemetery Now Under State Ownership

During the 2018-2019 Civil War Sites Preservation Fund (CWSPF) grant cycle, the 120-acre Yarbro Farms Tract was acquired for $690,673.90 by the American Battlefield Trust with funding from the CWSPF and the American Battlefield Protection Program’s Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant (BLAG). The Tennessee Historical Commission served as the easement holder. Post-acquisition, the Friends of Salem Cemetery, the local preservation-minded 501(c)(3), approached the Tennessee Wars Commission requesting preservation advocacy and technical support. The goal was to establish a battlefield park similar to the very popular Parkers Crossroads Battlefield in Henderson County or the developing Camp Blount Historic Site in Lincoln County. With this request, the Wars Commission approached the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) who graciously offered to transfer ownership of the parcel to the State of Tennessee to help facilitate the creation of this amenity. After a lengthy bureaucratic process, the state is proud to announce that as of the close of 2023, we are the owners of this parcel. The Wars Commission is looking forward to continued consultation with the Friends of Salem Cemetery and Madison County Parks and Recreation as development of the project begins.