1859
The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad completes its line through the area, establishing a stop that would become known as Summit.
1860s-1870s
In the years following the Civil War and emancipation, Black families begin settling in Summit, many migrating from North Georgia and Alabama in search of land, safety and opportunity.
1890s
Summit grows into a stable rural Black community. Churches are established, including St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church (1897) and Fields Chapel AME Zion Church (1898). Old Summit Cemetery is likely established during this period as a shared burial ground.
Early 1900s
A Rosenwald school is built in Summit, reflecting a thriving and organized community invested in education. Local residents operate farms, stores and small businesses.
1919
The earliest confirmed marked burials in Old Summit Cemetery date to this year, including victims of tuberculosis.
1920s-1930s
Summit reaches a period of relative stability and growth. A 1938 Works Progress Administration survey documents more than 200 burials in the cemetery, most of them unmarked.
1941
The U.S. government condemns more than 6,000 acres of land to build the Volunteer Ordnance Works, a munitions plant supporting World War II. Black communities in the area, including Summit, are displaced.
1942
Additional land is taken, including the area surrounding Old Summit Cemetery. Residents are given as little as 30 days to leave. Access to the cemetery is cut off.
1944
Displaced community members establish Summit Community Cemetery on Sanders Road for new burials, marking a permanent break from Old Summit Cemetery.
1950s–1960s
Construction of the Lee Highway Bypass (now Interstate 75) further divides the landscape, isolating the cemetery and remaining community land.
1977
The Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant ceases operations, leaving behind environmental impacts that affect surrounding communities.
1980s
The area, including land near the cemetery, is considered for use as a sanitary landfill.
1990s-2000s
The former TNT plant site is redeveloped into Enterprise South Industrial Park and later Enterprise South Nature Park. Portions of land, including the cemetery parcel, are sold to private owners.
Early 2000s
Descendants and community members attempt to clean and maintain Old Summit Cemetery despite limited access.
2020s
Access to the cemetery remains difficult, requiring a hike through the nature park or nearby subdivisions. Research efforts intensify, identifying burials and reconnecting families to the site.
2025
A proposed road extension near the cemetery raises concerns about potential encroachment. Preservation advocates call for further study and protection of the site’s full boundaries.
— David Laprad, with contributions, from Jared Story and Linda Moss Mines