The historically Black gravesite is described by locals as a hidden gem in the area.
In one spot is an unidentified casket that is being unearthed because of residual damage from Hurricane Florence. Community members said they fear there may have been other remains that have been lost and washed away because of flooding caused by the hurricane.
Locals didn't only point out the casket that's being unearthed, they also noted that there are countless veterans buried at the site going at least as far back as World War II.
"It's not good. Not good at all," said Wilbur Graham of Spring Lake. "And when I saw it and I see all the veterans here, I realized that we've got to move and we've got to clean up the cemetery."
The church that now oversees the cemetery, Bethel AME Zion Church, said the oldest marked grave goes back to 1905, and that the site was once reserved for African Americans.
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Maintenance duties for the cemetery shifted hands among Bethel AME and a sister church, Williams Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, then to the Town of Spring Lake, then back to the churches in 2021 according to Bethel AME.
Now as the only church of the two still overseeing the cemetery, Bethel AME said they want to restore the major damage here but are grappling with the cost.
"It's distressing for a lot of people because when you bury someone, you say, 'okay, we've honored, then we've buried them. We've done all we can to mourn them and want to make sure that their final resting place is secure' and it's not," said Densie Lucas, the chairman of the board of trustees at Bethel AME Zion Church.
Throughout Tuesday, members of the church and other concerned community members were at the site, surveying the damage and creating plans to hold a fundraiser for a restoration effort in November.
They also said they'll seek out resources from Cumberland County, as well as state and federal grants that could help with the long-term upkeep.
The group told ABC11 they'll need at least $2,000 to get started.