City Hall has quietly signed a letter of intent to take over abandoned, but historic Black cemeteries in the East End and a far smaller and less well known burial ground on Forest View Drive in South Side, the Free Press has learned.

The letter that the city’s chief administrative officer, Lincoln Saunders, signed June 20 has not been announced, but is regarded as the first step toward establishing a future for East End and Evergreen cemeteries that neighbor Oakwood Cemetery.

The finding comes as 7th District City Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille prepares to host a meeting 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Powhatan Hill Community Center, 5051 Northampton St. in Fulton.

The copy the Free Press obtained does not include the signature of John H. Mitchell, the last board member of the collapsed Enrichmond Foundation, which nominally retains ownership in the court record. The foundation’s bylaws indicated that if Enrichmond dissolved, the city was to gain its cemetery assets in the city.

The city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities has a cemetery division that operates Oakwood and other public cemeteries.

However, the Free Press has been told separately that Mr. Mitchell has since signed the letter. He could not be reached for comment.

If that is the case, the Free Press has been told that it opens the door to a receiver taking control of Enrichmond’s remaining assets and transferring those cemeteries.

Brian Palmer of the Friends of East End Cemetery is hopeful but uncertain of the progress on the city’s acquisition. The volunteer Friends has been engaged all summer in maintaining the 16-acre East End Cemetery that was founded 106 years ago.

He said maintenance has been entirely neglected at the far older Evergreen until this week, when he saw a city crew mowing a front portion for the first time. The 60-acre burial ground dates to 1891.

Mr. Palmer said he hopes for more clarity at the meeting Councilwoman Newbille will host.

Both East End and Evergreen were begun as private cemeteries for African-Americans, including such luminaries as charity leader and businesswoman Maggie L. Walker and fiery newspaper editor John Mitchell Jr. as well as thousands of other notables and residents.

The Forest View cemetery occupies less than a half-acre at Forest View’s intersection with Bassett Avenue.