Greenville’s historic Springwood Cemetery is receiving a long‑overdue tribute after a ground‑penetrating radar survey uncovered 572 unmarked graves in its Section V. The effort, led by the Upstate Cemetery Preservation Alliance of South Carolina, reflects the community’s commitment to honoring the city’s early residents, especially the African American and impoverished families buried there after the Civil War.
Survey reveals hidden burial rows
In August, Georgia‑based Omega Mapping Services conducted a radar sweep of the northeastern corner of Section V, the former potter’s field that once served the Elford Colored Cemetery. The technology identified rows and columns of burial sites, confirming long‑standing local belief that many graves lay unmarked.
“We knew something was in there, but it was not properly memorialized,” said Murphy Armstrong, chair of the Springwood Cemetery Advisory Committee. “It’s been a thorn in our craw. We wanted to know specifically.”
Funding and community support
Debbie Weeks, a founding member of the Upstate Preservation Alliance, contributed $3,000 to fund the radar survey. Following the findings, the Greenville County Historical Society provided a $6,000 anonymous donation to purchase metal discs that will serve as permanent markers for each identified grave.
Jason Forister, owner of Nat Greene Landscape and a member of the advisory committee, installed 617 markers in mid‑October, including discs for graves that already had illegible headstones. The markers are simple metal discs placed at the head of each burial site, offering a dignified and lasting tribute.
Next steps and further research
Researchers estimate an additional 30 to 50 graves remain in a small, unsurveyed portion of Section V. Armstrong said Omega Mapping Services will return within the next quarter to complete the scan.
City officials believe the newly documented graves date back to the mid‑1860s, shortly after the Civil War. The advisory committee plans to consult former neighborhood churches and mutual‑aid societies for burial records that could reveal the identities of those interred.
Community involvement and upcoming meeting
The Springwood Cemetery Advisory Committee will discuss further preservation actions at its next meeting on November 10, 3 p.m., at the McPherson Park Lodge Cabin, 102 E. Park Ave., Greenville. Committee members intend to explore additional ways to memorialize the hundreds of individuals whose lives shaped the city’s early history.
“We’re going to finally honor these lost souls,” Armstrong affirmed, underscoring the moral responsibility felt by many Greenville residents to remember the ancestors who helped build the community.
Why this matters
Springwood Cemetery, one of South Carolina’s oldest municipal burial grounds, holds an estimated 10,000 interments, with roughly 2,600 already in unmarked graves. By documenting and marking these sites, Greenville not only preserves its heritage but also affirms the value of every life—regardless of race or economic status—consistent with the city’s Christian and family‑centered values.
Original reporting: Greenville Journal — read the source article.
