The Forgotten Cemetery: The Penitentiary Cemetery

One night while eating at Farmer's Shed, Mark and I noticed a framed old newspaper article hanging on the wall. Intrigued, we read it! The article described a murder that had happen on the property back in the 1930s. Four African American men, traveling though the area, were blamed for the crime, put in jail, and executed on death row. It mentioned, that out of the 4 men only 1 of the men's family claimed his body. The other 3 were buried in the prison graveyard. That got us thinking, where was this prison graveyard? A quick search on Google provided the location and off we went!

Hidden beneath tangled weeds and protected by towering trees, a heavily eroded dirt path curves away from Elmwood Cemetery, down to the prisoners' final resting place. The hum of traffic, the occasional bird cry, and the rustling of tree branches plays an eerie melody for those who lives fell victim to turbulence.

A small grouping of poorly maintained concrete and metal license plates are all that remains to mark the lives of a few inmates who died from disease, old age, or on death row while prisoners inside the South Carolina's Penitentiary. Most prisoners, however, lay in unmarked graves unknown and  unidentified by the thousands who pass by the cemetery each day on their way to work.

In use from the late 1800s-1960s, the cemetery remains in stark contrast to the wealthy graves and headstones of its' neighboring Elmwood Cemetery. As a history major in college, I can't help but think of all that could be learned from studying more about this cemetery and the South Carolina Penitentiary.

Next to this cemetery, is the remains of 692 unidentified people. According to this marker, they are "believed" to be early settlers. Their remains were moved to this location in the 1970s to allow for the widening of Route 1-126. The importance these individual have played on the development of the area has been reduced to simple brick markers.

If you're like me and interested in the historical importance of cemeteries, I highly recommend checking out the Chicora Foundation. Mark came across their work, particularly, a paper prepared by Michael Trinkley Ph.D and Debi Hacker, about The Penitentiary Cemetery, Columbia, South Carolina. It is absolutely fascinating and includes numerous pictures and maps. I credit them for providing the years the cemetery was in operation as well as the facts about the many unidentified graves in the area.

Isn't it ironic that even in death, they are forgotten, closed off from the rest of society by a fence?