Tucked along a quiet stretch of road in Franklin, Tennessee, one can find Mallory Cemetery, a place that time has nearly forgotten and the final resting ground of Revolutionary War patriot Roger Mallory and generations of those who came before us.

For over two centuries, a dry-stacked stone wall has stood as a silent guardian of this sacred ground. Laid stone by stone by hand, without mortar, it was built to endure. But time, weather and neglect have taken their toll. Sections of the wall have crumbled and collapsed, leaving the cemetery exposed and vulnerable, a visible sign that something precious is slipping away.

We don't want to let that happen. And we don't think you do either.

What started as one person's quiet act of devotion, a determination to honor Roger Mallory and his family, has grown into a grassroots movement. Army veteran and founder of the nonprofit Preserve Mallory Cemetery, Cyndi Benavides recounts how a walk in 2020 transformed into a mission of preservation, saying, “I didn’t go looking for it; it found me.”

Preserve Mallory Cemetery is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing together volunteers, historians and neighbors who believe that the stories held in this ground deserve to be protected.

Mallory Cemetery has been recognized on the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County's 2025 Sites to Save list, a designation that reflects both its historical significance and the urgency of its need. Of the roughly 1,000 small, family burial grounds in Williamson County, many are at risk of being lost forever.

This wall is more than stone. It is a boundary between the past and present.

We have received an estimate to restore the collapsed dry-stacked stone walls and need to raise $32,000 to begin work this fall 2026. Every dollar brings us closer to breaking ground and to giving Roger Mallory, his family and all those buried here the dignity they deserve.

Your donation today will:

Fund the restoration of the historic dry-stacked stone walls
Protect and dignify the burial site of a Revolutionary War patriot and his descendants
Help ensure this piece of Franklin's heritage survives for future generations

Whether you give $25 or $2,500, you are choosing to be a keeper of history. You are choosing to say that these lives mattered and that the stones placed to honor them will stand again.

Donate. Share. Help us rebuild the walls.

Preserve Mallory Cemetery is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible. TAX ID: 33-1458293.

Burial List

1. Lucy Mallory DOB: 1759 / DOD: 16 Feb 1831

2. Roger Mallory DOB: 12 May 1755 / DOD: 22 Dec 1834

3. Dr. Andrew Crockett Mallory DOB: 18 Jun 1815 / DOD: 02 Jul 1842

4. Isaac Newton Mallory DOB: 27 May 1824 / DOD: 28 Oct 1844

5. Sarah E. Mallory Fleming DOB: 14 Sep 1827 / DOD: 20 Jul 1854

6. James H. Mallory DOB: 14 Mar 1818 / DOD: 19 Jan 1857

7. Susan S. Jones Long DOB: 1829 / DOB: 14 Apr 1882

8. John Mallory DOB: 1780 / DOD: 28 Jun 1860

9. Sarah "Sally" Crockett Mallory DOB: 1786 / DOD: 10 Dec 1870

10. Lucinda Mallory DOB: 1813 / DOD: 1881 (unmarked grave)

Rebuild the Walls. Honor the Brave. Preserve History.

Join us in rebuilding the walls at Mallory Cemetery

Team Members