YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Construction crews clearing land for new development uncovered something in the woods that passing drivers never knew was there: a very old cemetery.
It's located in York County off Carowinds Boulevard near Interstate 77.
There's no road leading to the site, and the entire area around it is being cleared and graded. That clearing caused the old graveyard to suddenly pop into view for hundreds of commuters on Carowinds Boulevard.
Leigh Ayers was one of them.
"All these head stones, I just can't believe it," Ayers said.
She contacted Channel 9, concerned about the cemetery possibly being damaged or destroyed. The news crew found graves dating back to the 1790s, at least one Confederate soldier buried in 1862, and a grave from 1979.
All of it is surrounded by a waist-high stone wall, about 200 yards from the highway.
"It deserves to be recognized and taken care of," Ayers said.
It looks like that will happen.
- CLICK PLAY: Raw video from the cemetery
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York County historian Mike Scoggins said it was called Blackstock cemetery, and named after a Presbyterian minister connected to a church in Steele Creek. Scoggins said the church is long gone, but was occasionally still used.
"There are Confederate soldiers there, and we might even have some Revolutionary War soldiers there too," Scoggins said.
Many of the grave markers are cracked and toppled; others are overgrown with weeds, or difficult to read. Still others are well preserved.
Such cemeteries are protected by state law, meaning the developer would have to move all the remains in order to build on the property.
York County officials told Channel 9 that the developer, Steve Miller, has no plans to disturb the cemetery. Channel 9 was not able to reach Miller by phone.
What's not known is what will be built there, because the land is being cleared to sell, but there's no buyer yet.
https://twitter.com/GSuskinWSOC9/status/629037829960675328
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