Bella Patton, Campus Carrier features editor

Ava Jarrell, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

With its many beautiful attractions, Berry’s campus has been displayed on many brochures and articles like Southern Living. Landmarks such as the Ford Complex, the Old Mill and Frost Chapel are among the most well-known places on campus, with Berry students, staff and guests alike visiting multiple times each year. However, with a campus spanning so much acreage and a history of 124 years, some landmarks remain overlooked. 

Kevin Pruitt, also known among his department as “KP,” manages the award-winning greenspace and horticulture of Berry as a grounds supervisor. In his four years at the school, he has overseen everything from the Frost Chapel and Ford Complex to the management and health of the trees. Pruitt has also held many strange and fascinating jobs before his time on grounds, the extent and titles of which are the subject of speculation among the students on his team, known as “KP’s Crew.” This long-held fascination with history has given Pruitt a deep appreciation and pride in his work, especially with the graves on campus.

“They’ve turned [the lawn] into a cemetery now,” Pruitt said. “Bruce [a physical plant employee] has been here for 37 or 38 years, and he said, ‘I actually witnessed a funeral at the Chapel; put a body in the ground.’ I always wondered about it, cause I don’t feel right driving over the top of these people, but they don’t mind.”

The graveyard outside College Chapel is the resting place of over 40 important figures in Berry history. According to Berry’s website, Martha Freeman (1844-1951) was born an enslaved person and was already emancipated when she began serving in Martha Berry’s home. She became a close friend of Martha Berry and was the first African American and second person overall to be buried in the cemetery.

Others buried at the cemetery include faculty members who devoted much of their time to Berry. Garland Martin Dickey (1922-1982) was a 1942 Berry graduate who returned to the school after serving in World War II and reestablished the athletic program, later serving as the athletic director and the head of the Department of Physical Education. Dickey is also recognized for choosing the Vikings as the school mascot. 

Ouida Blanche Word Dickey (1928-2019) is also buried at the cemetery, and after graduating from Berry College in 1950, she became a professor of business and later the dean of Academic Services. She was the first woman to be tenured at the college. 

Even Martha Berry (1865-1942) herself is buried in this graveyard, a place she personally chose before she died. 

Pruitt also mentioned how his research during his time at Berry led him down some unusual rabbit holes, including the subject of Martha Berry’s horse.

“I’ve found a lot of it intriguing, finding out more history,” Pruitt said. “Roany was called the ‘Sunday School Horse’ because she was called the ‘Sunday School Lady.’ Everybody said he was 36 when he died, but records show he could have been 46 years old, and she intended to stuff him, to have him stuffed and mounted. A lot of people called him Black Beauty. It’s just a lot of interesting stuff like that.”

Along with Martha Berry using him as transport to Sunday school each week, Roany was also a part of the Mountain Day procession. Today, a memorial landmark of Roany is located by the Ladd Center, honoring his service to Martha Berry and the early days of Berry College.

Additionally, some landmarks may remain largely unnoticed despite being seen almost daily by students and staff. Trees throughout campus, for example, are often overlooked as simple scenery, but many are landmarks for a broader campus project, the Berry Arboretum and Tree Walk. 

According to Berry’s website, a project to inventory trees and establish an arboretum on campus began in 2014. Students along with biology faculty collected records of more than 1,400 trees from over 100 species and varieties. A representative group of these trees is included in the Tree Walk throughout main campus, with both interactive and printable maps available online. 

Each tree on the Tree Walk is numbered 1-40, and some of them are landmarks in place for important figures and events in the school’s history. Tree #2 is one of 50 Shumard Oaks that are planted along Bertrand Way in honor of John R. Bertrand, who was the president of Berry from 1956 to 1980. This memorial was a gift from the class of 1950. 

Tree #6, a marker for the Hightower Willow Oaks along the Road of Remembrance, honors 11 Berry students who were killed during World War I. Tree #19, the Swamp Chestnut Oak “Peace Tree,” also honors those lost in war and was planted by the class of 1973 to remember soldiers missing in action from the Vietnam War. 

Near Tree #40, there is a marker for the many large Willow Oaks that line the old Gate of Opportunity Drive, some of the most recognizable on campus. These trees were replanted in the 1960s after the original Winged Elms planted there were damaged by an ice storm. 

Tree #23 is a pecan tree that shades Martha Berry’s grave beside College Chapel.

“You know her last wish was to have a dogwood over her grave,” Pruitt said. “When they put that lamppost in, they cut it down. Over time, the pecan just became known as Martha’s Tree, and dogwoods don’t do very well in full sunlight, so they put another pecan over by Martha’s grave after it came down. I knew it would too. Three years ago, I told the arborist, I said, ‘This tree has got a big decay in the side of it that needs to be addressed.’ I was worried about it falling on the Chapel.”

Pruitt continues to marvel at the history of the college, always inspired by the work and resilience of student workers, whether modern-day or past. He is especially impressed by the many interesting stories he has heard over the years of both current and past students building projects from the ground up. 

“I don’t know what would be my favorite as far as landmarks,” Pruitt said. “It’s so hard to say because I’m fascinated by all of them, and there are some I probably don’t even know about. You just have to find them.”With such a large campus, landmarks beyond the large buildings and common photo spots are often missed. However, students, faculty and guests are encouraged to explore Berry’s extensive campus, where many unique landmarks are just a walk away.