Union Benevolent Aid Society

Recognizing the need for a public Black cemetery in Fayette County, a group of formerly enslaved men purchased land in 1884 that is now part of Fayetteville Cemetery. The Black community, with leadership from Thomas Dorsey, Isaac Dorsey, and Nelson Arnold, chartered the Union Benevolent Aid Society (UBAS) in 1885 and established its first lodge on Church Street. Through membership, UBAS lodges provided aid for sick members and burial services, established cemeteries, and many lodge buildings housed early Black schools. Like many Jim Crow-era African-American benevolent associations, UBAS fostered social and spiritual fellowship, citizenship, and community uplift typically denied by White-owned institutions. UBAS grew into a statewide organization, establishing more than 500 lodges, mainly in rural areas. Following desegregation, access to insurance, and the increase of privately-owned public cemeteries, membership decreased and UBAS eventually dissolved. Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and the Fayette County Historical Society