YORK COUNTY, South Carolina (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The 200-year-old cemetery, where about 150 slaves are buried, will soon become one of York County’s newest historic sites.
Andrew and Mary Lazenby say the previous owner mentioned the possibility of a cemetery when he purchased the 110-acre property.
“After agreeing to buy, I looked around for permission and found it.
And so the journey to unravel their history began.
Working with ground-penetrating radar and other tools, a team of archaeologists was able to map the entire area.
Their research uncovered a cemetery with 144 graves dating from 1780 to 1865. Along with the cemetery, the group also discovered the identity of the plantation.
The number of 144 graves may be hard to imagine. Lazenbys finds stone cutters to engrave numbers on tombstones to emphasize the importance of the find.
“Because you’ll never know the name that’s here…it wasn’t recorded,” he said.
They received a lot of help surrounding the project, including helping Charlotte’s blacksmith build a fence around the area.
Today, they have placed stones in their respective graves and are working with organizations such as the Nation Ford Land Trust to further protect the area. The Nation Ford Land Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving York County’s open spaces, natural beauty and scenic heritage. South Carolina area.
Nation Ford Land Trust Executive Director Steve Hamilton said: “Like property owners, we felt this moment needed to be properly and respectfully documented, recorded, and preserved for present and future generations.”
After being neglected for 200 years, the nonprofit will host a ceremony on February 25 to recognize and celebrate the life of “The 144.”
“I don’t think we expected it to be where it is now, but I’m not surprised it ended up where it is,” Lazenby said.
———————————–
“The 144: Honoring Lost Ancestors”
Saturday, February 25, 2023, 2:30-4:00pm
● Keynote Speaker: Dr. Corey DB Walker, Interim Dean and Director of African American Studies at Wake Forest University Theological Seminary
● Q&A panel with property owners and the Nation Ford Land Trust moderated by Our State Magazine’s Emiene Wright
Participants will have the opportunity to visit the cemetery immediately after the program. In honor of ‘The 144’, the Nation Ford Land Trust will release his 144 tickets to the public. Tickets are $75 and start January 18th. http://www.nationfordlandtrust.org/the-144/.
In honor of the owners, organizers will announce the cemetery address and “The 144” ceremony at a later date.
