This burial site in Fort Lawn, adjacent to Landsford Canal State Park, contains grave markers dating to before the American Revolution. It also goes by the name of Mount Zion Cemetery, likely for a church whose members were interred here. When Revolutionary War hero and University of North Carolina founder General William Davie established his plantation, Tivoli, near this site in 1805, he used the established graveyard as a landmark when giving directions to his estate.
Visible from the road leading to Landsford Canal State Park, the graveyard is bound by a wall of field stone. A sign warning against vandalism greets those who visit the sacred site. The Old Stone Cemetery is owned and maintained by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
We’d like to make this page better. Do you have knowledge about the Old Stone Cemetery that you can share? If so, please send it to the South Carolina Picture Project. Thank you!
More Pictures of Old Stone Cemetery
Reflections on the Old Stone Cemetery
Contributor Patrick Boland, who took the photo below, writes, “This picture shows an interior view of one of the cemetery paths. The site is in such disrepair. Interred here are heroes of the American Revolutionary War. Notable among them is Colonel Robert Patton.”
Importantly, he adds that this portion “of the Landsford Canal State Park grounds is not fenced nor protected in any way. Many – nearly all – of the remaining tombstones are in terrible condition. Many are broken while others littering the site without any manner of respect. It is owned by the State of South Carolina and managed by the the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Having responsibility for all the states parks for recreational use may account for the terrible state of this cemetery, one of very few historically significant cemeteries in the Upstate. On a visit to the site this past Wednesday, the cemetery was littered with beer cans.”
Cicero Cross, son of Daniel Cross, is buried here. 1846-1847 Does anyone have a photo of his headstone?
Anyway to get public-private maintenance of this site? It needs to be fenced, headstones straightened or even put back up. It’s overcome with poison ivy. This gravesite has remains of American Revolution soldiers in it. Why does SC ignore its maintenance?
On 4/21/20 I emailed Barry Kesler (DNR) to inform of horrible condition of the Old Stone cemetery. Barry had just replaced Andrew Hook. Barry had visited the cemetery and said, “We will work with our archaeologist in the near future to come up with a plan of maintenance.” On 7/26/20, I emailed Barry to remind him about the cemetery. I had just visited it and observed that nothing had been done. No reply as of 8/9/20.
Looking for gravestone of William Rivers.
When I first came upon this old cemetery, I was amazed to see so many Dunlaps. My ancestor is Isabella Hauk Dunlap, who married Joseph Howe, both buried Bethel Pres. in Clover, S.C. Cemeteries like this make me so sad. Thanks for the pictures.
What is the DNR position on the condition of the site?