The Williamston Cemetery Committee was established to manage preservation and operations of the cemetery which dates back to the later 1800s. Its mission emphasized protecting the cemetery’s historic integrity and engaging the community in care efforts.
The Cemetery Committee is in the process of locating and identifying gravesites, updating records as well as cleanup and restoration of the historic cemetery.
They recently reached out to the community to help provide information about people buried in the cemetery, and specifically veterans.
Debbie Howell, a local housewife and mother with an interest in cemeteries and veterans, is one of the people who responded.
Howell became involved with the Williamston Cemetery and the Committee after visiting the cemetery to locate a friend’s ancestor’s grave. According to Williamston Cemetery Committee Co-Chair Jane Tucker Addison, Howell was saddened to see the condition of so many of the graves.
She has since partnered with the Cemetery Committee to help.
One of the priorities for the Cemetery Committee is identification of veterans buried in the cemetery.
“Our very special Cemetery is the final resting place of the remains of many veterans of all wars and veterans who served in peacetime,” said Addison. “Unfortunately, records of veterans’ graves, and others, have not been well maintained as we would have liked.”
Addison said that the committee has minutes from some meetings but “little has been done” and through the years records have not been updated.
“Debbie’s committment, dedication and time spent on research has been invaluable,” Addison said. “She has since volunteered more than five hundred hours online researching the names and locations of every veteran buried in the Williamston Cemetery.”
In addition to her research project to help the Cemetery Committee with the identification of veterans buried in the cemetery, she is leading an effort to cleanup and restore the cemetery and to make it safe for visitors.
Howell has spent many additional hours clearing graves, cleaning head stones, and identifying veterans’ graves which have been neglected for decades.
She recently met with the Cemetery Committee and members of Williamston Town Council to present information about the project and what she has learned.
Howell said she has a passion for family history and cemeteries, and loves veterans.
After visiting the cemetery, she wanted to find how many Veterans were buried there. She began her research on the “Find A Grave” website which showed there were 40 Veterans buried in the cemetery.
The historic cemetery is owned by the Cemetery Association under control of the Williamston Cemetery Committee. The original two acre site was purchased in 1873.
There are no burial plots available for the cemetery, however there are still living residents who have plots which are documented and certificates showing they own the spots.
According to Howell, there are 638 lots and 1692 memorials in the cemetery. Eighty-nine percent of those have been GPS located.
Early cemetery records show a section A and B, along with Plot and Section.
The original deed for Section A was dated June 16, 1873. It was for two acres purchased for $40 from Mr. Jas. E Pickle.
In July 26, 1886, Section B, 1.4 acres was purchased from Mrs. Pickle to expand the cemetery.
In 1920, Section C, .87 acres, was purchased from Williamston Mill for $43.50.
In 1926 two more acres were purchased from Williamston Mill for $100.
Minnie Todd was the first person to be buried in the cemetery in 1869.
Prominent citizens buried in the cemetery include James P. Gossett, founder of Gossett Mills and Samuel Lander, founder of Williamston Female College.
An updated survey of the cemetery was done in 1926.
According to Howell, the cemetery holds veterens from the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War l, World War II and the Korean War.
Fifty-nine confederate soldier’s graves were marked in 2003.
Howell’s presentation included photos of numerous historic headstones including several from the Civil War era.
As part of the restoration project, Howell said there is a military project currently underway which will pay for restoration or replacement of damaged or discolored stones.
Restoration efforts and ongoing care includes clearing debris, trimming tree branches, exposing buried gravestones and cleaning headstones with a special D2 Biological Solution and Renaissance Plate Wax. Both products are commonly used by national cemeteries across the country, Howell said.
“Preserving the Williamston Cemetery requires continous restoration, upkeep and community involvement to protect his historic site for future generations,” Howell said.
Ongoing restoration projects and care include monument stability restoration, landscaping improvements, record preservation efforts and continuous maintenance.
“Trees need to come down. We need to be proactive and not reactive,” Howell said. “Problems can be fixed.”
“This is a huge project. We need money. There are grants. Anderson County has two cemetery grants and there are state grants that can help.”
She added that donations from the community will be a big part of funding the necessary projects.
The Cemetery Committee is also looking for volunteer and community involvement to help maintain the site, provide education outreach, and organize community events.
Volunteers are needed to help the Cemetery Committee with memorial services to honor individuals in the cemetery and preserve community heritage and to provide guided tours to provide insight in the town’s past through stories and historical landmarks. Also provide educational activities with programs to engage visitors with interactive learning about local history and cultural heritage.
According to Addison, Howell’s goal is to bring more attention to Williamston’s sacred, historic cemetery and to offer suggestions for improvements and brainstorm ideas for volunteers as well as the commmitte to help with these tasks.
A cleanup day for the cemetery has tentatively been planned for March 28 for volunteers who are interested in helping.
In closing her presentation, Howell said, “We need to give them the respect they deserve.”
