Jane Woods McClain

Rose Hill Cemetery, founded in 1878 by the Mill owners in Piedmont, was neglected and in disrepair by the late 1980’s after the shuttered National Historic Landmark mill burned down. Enter Jane McClain, who formed a nonprofit, and through determined negotiations succeeded in having the 7 1/2 acre site donated and began a 35-year labor of love that has seen the cemetery restored, seen it become a well-maintained site, and a beloved community resource and a site of remembrance for the more than 2,500 former mill workers interred there.

The jury recognizes Jane McClain as an outstanding steward through her vision, willpower, community engagement and preservation ethic for the Rose Hill Cemetery and the town of Piedmont.