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Cemetery Preservation |
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Effective: 12/25/23 12:24 by: PMK |
Some landowners who have cemeteries located on their property, are preventing family members from visiting and maintaining the graves of their love-ones. Some landowners or their livestock are desecrating/destroying their cemeteries. A cemetery is a place not only for the burial of the dead, but for an expression of love and respect by the living for the dead. Descendants have the legal right of burial, visitation, maintenance and beautification of graves. Visit http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c043.htm
and http://chicora.org/sc-cemetery-law.html. For your safety, ALWAYS MAKE PRIOR LANDOWNER ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE VISITING A CEMETERY.Boy Scouts of America: Boy Scouts who are now ready to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, are required to do a Community Service Project. This project can be the restoring of a pioneer cemetery. You can view a typical restoration project by viewing the Pickens Plantation Slave Cemetery links. These young men normally do excellent work and are under constant adult supervision.
Cemetery Preservation Department of Archives and History compiling.
Cemetery Preservation Handbook - ( In .pdf format )
Cemetery Stories:
Ann Rogers (of Walhalla) Story: h-32 newspaper release by Paul M Kankula in 2003
Development Threatens to Unearth Buried Dead: h-38 by Anna Simon, Greenville News in 24-Mar-2004
General Andrew Pickens Slave Cemetery: h-35 by Anna Simon, Greenville News in 30-apr-2003
General Andrew Pickens Slave Cemetery: h-34 by Chris Day, Seneca Dailey Journal in 19-Jun-2003
Maxwell Toxaway Plantation: c084 by Pat Pritchard, Doctoral PhD Thesis, in 1977
New Development to Preserve Old Cemetery: h-35 by Anna Simon, Greenville News in 10-Oct-2003
Preserving Memories for the Future: h-36 Mynra McKee, Seneca Dailey Journal in 21-Jun-2003
Preserving Our History Preserves Who We Are: h-39 by Karen Patterson, Travelers Rest, Apr-2004
Remembering & Preserving Our Past Heritage: h-42 newspaper release by Paul M Kankula in April-2004
The Forgotten Resting Place - c024 by Carlie Butts, 2003
Chicora Foundation Work includes archaeological and historical research and work in conservation and preservation with museums, libraries, archives, historic organizations, and private citizens.
Michael Trinkley, Ph.D. - Director, Telephone = 803-787-6910, E-Mail = trinkley@chicora.org. See http://www.chicora.org/sc-cemetery-law.html
County Sheriff:
If a cemetery is in the process of being desecrated, contact the county sheriff immediately. State laws make it a felony to destroy or desecrate burial grounds and establish a legal framework for moving abandoned cemeteries when necessary. The responsibility for enforcing state cemetery laws belongs to the county sheriff or local police department. After contacting the county sheriff, notify other interested groups, such as local historical organizations and the local newspaper. Prosecute offenders who are caught and publicize the arrests. Suits can also be filed in civil court to seek compensation for damages. Make sure that you contact our State Archaeologist Jonathan M. Leader, Ph.D., SC State Archaeologist, SCIAA, 1321 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29208, 803.777.8170, Cell: 803.331.8817, Fax: 803.254.1338, leader@sc.edu.
Geocashing - High-Tech GPS Cemetery Game
Grave Finding - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
Grave Finding - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
Grave Finding - Soil Compaction Meter
SCIway Preservation of Slave Cemeteries
SC Historic Cemetery Preservation Handbook - Produced by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 53 pgs
SC State Archaeologist - Jonathan M. Leader, Ph.D., SC State Archaeologist, SCIAA, 1321 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29208, 803.777.8170, Cell: 803.331.8817, Fax: 803.254.1338, leader@sc.edu. Serves as the main State agency concerned with South Carolina's Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology, and its discovery, study, revelation, and official safekeeping at a curatorial facility. Contact Dr. Jon if you feel a cemetery is about to be damaged or destroyed. This agency coordinates with law enforcement, medical examiners & coroners and may be able to provide you with guidance & assistance.
SC State Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) Archaeologist - Wayne Roberts at robertswd@dot.state.sc.us
Note: Did the Department of Transportation build a road through a cemetery where your loves were once located and now no one knows where the graves were moved to? Senator Martin will contact the D.O.T. on your behalf if you e-mail him the details at SRU@scsenate.org.
SC State Historic Preservation Office - Bradley S. Sauls, Local Government Assistance/Federal Grants, State Historic Preservation Office, SC Dept. of Archives & History, 8301 Parklane Rd., Columbia SC 29223-4905, (803) 896-6172, Fax (803) 896-6167, E-mail: sauls@scdah.state.sc.us, SHPO on the web at http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/histrcpl.htm. Bradley's job at the State Historic Preservation Office is to (1) administer our federal grant program, (2) provide assistance to local government historic preservation programs, and (3) serve as the Regional Representative for the Appalachian Region. He serves as a first point of contact for the upstate counties, to help answer questions and direct calls to appropriate program areas as needed.