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Williamsburg Cemetery

SC PICTURE PROJECT 3 Comments

SC Picture Project / Williamsburg County / Williamsburg Cemetery

This cemetery in Kingstree is located at the site of the first meeting house built for Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. The church was founded in 1736 by Scottish minister John Witherspoon, who came to what was then known as Williamsburgh Township from Ireland in 1734. The Reverend Witherspoon had left Scotland for Ireland in the late seventeenth century to escape religious persecution.

Williamsburg Cemetery Gate

Linda Brown of Kingstree, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

When the Reverend Witherspoon died in 1737 – shortly after organizing Williamsburg Presbyterian Church – he was the first person to be buried in the churchyard. A marker within the cemetery commemorates him as shown below. Some records claim that Williamsburg Presbyterian Church was built in 1736, the year the congregation formed, while others say it was built two years later in 1738. Either way, two other church buildings preceded the current one, which was built in 1913.

Witherspoon Marker

Linda Brown of Kingstree, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Around 50 years after first sanctuary was built, there was a division in the church when members learned that the minister did not believe in the divinity of Jesus. Several people left the church, and the defectors had their slaves dismantle the first meeting house in the dead of night because it competed with their new church, which they built just 50 yards away. The churches finally reconciled just over 40 years later, in 1828.

Captain Gordon Historical Marker

Linda Brown of Kingstree, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The above marker in the cemetery honors Captain Roger Gordon, a Scots-Irish immigrant who brought 40 people with him from northern Ireland to settle in Williamsburgh Township in 1732. Captain Gordon and the other settlers established themselves on a land grant issued by King George II in order to colonize the inland of South Carolina. A few years after arriving, the group secured two more acres of land on this site to build a Presbyterian meeting house, which became the first Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. Considered the founder of Kingstree, Captain Gordon died in 1750.

Plan Your Trip: Williamsburg Cemetery

Where is Williamsburg Cemetery located?
Address: East Main Street, Kingstree, SC 29556
GPS Coordinates: 33.667390,-79.816169
What else should I see?
Williamsburg Regional Hospital 0.8 mile
Williamsburg County Carnegie Library 1.2 miles
Kingstree Depot 1.2 miles
St. Alban's Episcopal Church 1.3 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Cemeteries
  • Kingstree Historic Sites
    Williamsburg Cemetery Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy Cade Edwards says

      August 14, 2019 at 3:24 PM

      Looking for grave of Robert Cade born in 1799 Robson County, North Carolina, died in 1824 in Williamsburg County, South Carolina.

      Reply
    2. Pat Key says

      September 8, 2016 at 2:51 PM

      Do you have a list of names of those buried in your cemetery? I am looking for ancestors in 1700’s and 1800’s. thank you

      Reply
      • SCIWAY says

        April 26, 2017 at 9:28 AM

        Hello Pat, have you tried searching the list of the interred people on Find A Grave? They are a fantastic resource for this type of information. The direct link to this cemetery is: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1973284

        Reply

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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