It’s difficult to capture the magnitude of the Angel Oak, a 400 to 500-year-old Southern Live Oak, on Johns Island. The tree is named after the plantation of Justus and Mary Waight Tucker Angel. The oak was part of an original land grant given to Abraham Waight.
I visited Charleston in 2019 to visit the cemeteries there. If you’ve visited Magnolia Cemetery, you will know there are several cemeteries in the area. As I was leaving Magnolia, I was driving down the side roads around the other cemeteries when I noticed Ethel Lance’s marker.
The grounds were being tended to, so I had to wait until the mowers moved away from the marker. Once I got out, I noticed that she was buried near several other members of the Mother Emanuel mass murders.
The other victims are buried in different cemeteries around Charleston and South Carolina.
Founded in 1681, the Circular Congregational Church is one of the oldest churches in continual use in Charleston. The burial ground, also known as graveyard since it is next to the church, is the oldest one in the city. The first burial occurred in 1695.
Many of the grave markers are made of slate and carved in New England. The tympanic markers illustrate the evolution of grave symbolism. Skull and crossbones were part of the earlier designs, but they evolved to angels and portraiture. The graveyard contains the most slate markers in a Southern state.
“Little Earle Martin, the loved and loving son, was the son of B. E. & Della Martin. Born December 29, 1880. Died September 11, 1891.”
Thou art in realms of endless light, where sin nor suffering ne’er can blight, our Angel, Little Earle.
Located in the Laurens City Cemetery.
Springwood Cemetery, located in Greenville, South Carolina, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. It is an important cemetery because it reflects the history of the city within its walls. Several early Greenville citizens call Springwood their final resting place. It also contains several Victorian markers and reflects the rural cemetery style that became popular with Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
The first burial was in 1812. Springwood has been known as the Elford Cemetery, the Old Graveyard, and the Old Village Burial Ground. Springwood features a formal, planned design. The pathways and design of the cemetery were created by landscape architect, G. L. Norrman, a noted architect in the Southeast, who was inspired by the rural cemetery movement.
Established in the 1870s, the Silver Brook Cemetery is the second city cemetery established by the town of Anderson. It’s a 40 acre cemetery with over 15,000 burials. It is at capacity, and no more plots are available for purchase.
The cemetery features several Victorian monuments.
