The Kerr Family Plot

Near the front of the Unitarian Church Cemetery is a pretty large sized family grave site. This site belongs to the Kerr/ Hurlbut family. Elizabeth Crocker Hurlbut Kerr is Thomas J. Kerr's wife and their children as well as Elizabeth's family is buried here. For the most part the grave markers in this family plot are headstones but one monument really stood out to me. In the front right corner of the plot is a pair of matching bedsteads. These bedsteads really stood out to me because unlike the other bedsteads I have seen, these ones have almost a mini headstone at the base that have the person's initials on them.

The matching bedsteads

Initials at the foot of the bedsteads

The bedstead to the left is Thomas J. Kerr's final resting place. Thomas J. Kerr was born on August 15, 1803 and died on May 22, 1890. His death certificate said that the primary cause of death was old age and the secondary cause of death was bronchitis.  He worked as a merchant and a warf owner. Him and his wife lived at 7 Pitt. The couple had two children named Emily and Thomas but sadly both died at young ages. Emily died at the age of three while her brother wasn't even a year old when he passed. The siblings are buried together under one headstone.

Interior of 7 Pitt

As I was doing research I couldn't find much about Thomas's side of the family but I did learn a lot about Elizabeth's. Elizabeth's father, Martin Luther Hurlbut was the minister and school master of the First Unitarian Church in Pennsylvania. His family later moved to Charleston where they lived for 20 years. During his time in Charleston he was a proud slave owner although he is a Yankee at heart.

Kerr Family plot

As I was researching the members of the Kerr plot one grave site is still a mystery to me. The bedstead to the left is the final resting place of Charles R Kerr. Charles was born in 1841 and died in 1865. I did tons or research through Ancestory.com, FindAGrave.com, as well as the Unitarian Cemetery records and Charles is nowhere to be found.

Visiting a the Grand Victorian Necropolis which is Magnolia Cemetery

On the day after Halloween our class took a trip to Magnolia Cemetery. Before having gone, our class already knew a lot about the cemetery but going and seeing it in person was an experience. I was really confused when driving up to the cemetery because it kinda is in the middle of nowhere. When I first entered it I was completely overwhelmed by the size of it. I know that the cemetery was big but I never registered that it would be that big. We have toured lots of graveyards over the course of the semester but they were never big enough to get completely lost in. This one you could easily get lost in because it is gigantic.

Magnolia Cemetery opened in 1850 as non-denominational cemetery. The cemetery is 150 acres and is located on the banks of the Cooper River. There are 35,000 people buried here which includes seven confederate generals, 2,200 veterans, and 3 submarine Hunley crew members. Magnolia Cemetery is considered a big tourist attraction in the Charleston area. There are many tour groups along with ghost hunts that go through the historic cemetery.

One thing that I really like about Magnolia was the scenery. Similar to the Unitarian Church graveyard it had lot of greenery. Magnolia Cemetery is also located on the Cooper river so there are some really pretty views of the water. Over all I really like how it feels like the cemetery is embedded into nature in a very seamless way.

The image on the life is a picture of Annie Kerr Aiken's grave. She died at the age of 3 of a throat disease. It is common to see toys or stuffed animals left on her grave.

This grave marks the resting place of William and Hattie Bird. The woman on the top of the grave is supposed to be Hattie Bird who died at the age 44 from heart disease.

This mausoleum it the final resting place of 9 Gibbes family members. Robert Gibbes first come to Charleston from Barbados and was the governor of the Provenience of Carolina. 

My group member on the Vanderhorst mausoleum

Going and touring Magnolia Cemetery was a really cool experience. The one thing that I found extremely interesting is the crazy amount of history that is in the cemetery.

Elizabeth Jackson's Mysterious Headstone

Located in College of Charleston's Cougar Mall sits former President Andrew Jackson's mother's headstone. Elizabeth Jackson's headstone my be in the heart of the College of Charleston but her body is not. The location of her body to this day remains a mystery. 

In 1780, the British decided to invade Charleston, SC leaving hundreds of patriots killed or wounded. With the revolution underway, Andrew and his brothers Robert and Hugh decided to join the regiment. Hugh died in the Battle of Stono Ferry which took place shortly after they joined. Later on the British were gaining the upper hand. Robert and Andrew were both taken as prisoners by the British and both became sick with smallpox. Elizabeth then did what any mother would do and arranged for a prisoner transfer. The boys had to walk forty miles to return home but sadly Robert was too weak and died. 

After her boys were released, Elizabeth went to Charleston to tend to the remaining prisoners. The prisoners were kept on prison ships docked in the Charleston Harbor. The ships were filled with people with cholera which Elizabeth ended up contracting. November 1781 Elizabeth died and at the age of 14, Andrew became an orphan.  

It is believed that Elizabeth Jackson is buried in an unmarked grave on a hill in Waxhaws. Her headstone was originally located in Old Waxhaws Presbyterian Church cemetery which is where Andrew's father and brothers were buried. The marker was moved in 1967 to its current location because the previous site was apparently poorly kept. 

Elizabeth Jackson's headstone. The writing is a small portion of advice she gave to Andrew before dying.

James Buchan: The Scottish Immigrant

My family history has always been a mystery. Both of my grandparents are very elderly so they were never really provided too much information to my sister and me when we were younger. The only thing that I always remember was my dad telling me and my sister that his grandfather is an immigrant from Scotland. For this project, I received most of my information from my dad. As a child, my dad had a really close relationship with his grandfather. My great grandfather's name was James Taylor Buchan (his middle name is where my first name came from). He was born on March 16, 1899, in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. My dad told me that one story that my great grandfather told him was about him and his parents immigrating to Canada. Apparently, when he was around 13 years old, his parents and his four sisters were supposed to board the Titanic. The story goes, he got sick with the flu and his family had to postpone their move. I used Ancestory.com but they didn't provide much information about my great grandfather. The cite also claimed that my great grandfather also died in 1950 which is not possible because that means he died before my dad was born. One piece of information that I found interesting was a passenger list.

 The passenger list includes not only my great grandfather but also my great grandmother Helen Buchan. According to the passenger list they were leaving Scotland again. According to the list their residency is in the Ivanhoe Hotel, Glasgow. I decided to do further research on the hotel and apparently it was later on renamed the Buchanan Hotel. This has no connection to me because the passenger lists states that my relative's intent of their tip from Scotland was to gain citizenship in the US. 

Symbols Scavenger Hunt

Our class took a quick trip to Bethel United Methodist Church. The church was first established in 1797. The original building was built facing Calhoun. This original building is now known as Old Bethel. The new building is where Bethel United stands today.

This ledger marks the resting place of Eva Thomasin. The lilys symbolize happiness; purity; humanity. 

This ledger marks the resting place of Elizabeth Furchess. The weeping willow on the marker symbolizes sorrow and mourning

This ledger marks the resting place of Emily Andrew. The roses symbolize love, beauty, unfailing love.

This headstone marks the resting place of Elizabeth M. Ainger. The flying bird represents a "winged soul".

This die in socket marks the resting place of Charles Muckenfuss. The cross through the crown symbolizes sovereignty of the lord.

This die on base marks the resting place of Rosa Mary. The drapery symbolizes sorrow and mourning.

This foot stone marks the resting place of Francis W Capers. The cross represents eternity and never-ending existence.

This headstone marks the resting place of Joseph Hunt. The urn and the willow symbolizes mourning of the deceased. It is also a very common symbol among all Victorian graves.

This ledger marks the resting place of Elizabeth M. The angel symbolize the messengers of god and spirituality. 

James Buchan: The Scottish Immigrant

For this project I am planning to write about my great great grandfather named James Buchan. According to my dad, he lived in Scotland for most of his life. Rumor has it he was supposed to come to over to America on the Titanic but got sick and postponed his move. I am really interested to not only learning more about him but also learning more about my interesting Scottish heritage.

The Oldest Jewish Cemetery in the South!

On Saturday, September 28 our class took a tour of the KKBE Jewish cemetery! Saturday was the mandatory hurricane makeup day which is why we had class in the first place. Unlike the other times we have visited graveyards, we had two lovely tour guides named Anita Moise Rosenberg and Randi Serrins. Both of them were very knowledgable about not only the cemetery but also about the people buried there.

History

The Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim was founded in 1670 and is located on Hassel St. It is the second oldest synagogue building the US as well as the oldest in continuous use. The synagogue's cemetery is located on Coming St. and is claimed to be the oldest surviving Jewish burial ground in the South.

                                                                          Traditions

When I entered the cemetery there was a sink at the entrance which stood out to me. According to Serrins, "it is a tradition to wash your hands after visiting a cemetery". Out of pure curiosity, I further researched this practice and came to realize that washing your hands after visiting a cemetery. Turns out there are a lot of different theories of where this tradition came from. Some say that its a way to get rid of any negative spirits while others say its a reminder of purity and that you are serving God. Another tradition that is very apparent in the cemetery are the stones placed on top of headstones. According to Rosenburg, "the stones are a symbol of remembrance and respect." She further explained that I was a tradition when a Jewish person died, they would be buried and then covered in stones to prevent animals from picking at the body. One thing that stood out was the symbols as well as the Hebrew inscriptions. Some examples of these are shown in the pictures below.

This is a picture of one of our tour guides holding up a picture of what is believed to be proof of a ghost that use to haunt the cemetery.

Often times box tombs have Hebrew inscriptions at the top and the English translation at the bottom.

There is a wall surrounding the entire cemetery and its rarely open to the public

A nice overview of the cemetery

The cemetery has a really gifted team that refurbishes the headstones

Guide to the Gravestones

On Monday, September 23 our class was assigned to find examples of different types of grave markers. During that class period our class went to St. Patrick Catholic Church and Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul to find and take pictures of the different types of gravestones.

The inside of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St.Paul

The first type of gravestone as well as the most common type is the headstone. Headstones can be described as a slab of stone that comes of of the ground to mark a grave.

Picture of headstones at the from of the St. Patrick's Catholic Church graveyard

The next type of gravestone is a box tomb. This type of gravestone is described as a box that is flush to the ground. The body is not held inside the box tomb but is buried beneath.

Box tomb at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Sarcophaguses are large box-shaped monuments that usually hold the body. Sarcophaguses are often associated with early Egypt and Greece.

Sarcophagus found at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Obelisks are tall structures that oftentimes resemble the Washington monument. These structures can oftentimes have carved fabric draped across the top.

Obelisk found at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Pedestal tombs are similar to obelisks but tend to be shorter and less narrow. Often time their top has an urn or some other detailed carving.

Pedestal with urn found at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Die in socket are basic headstones but instead, if it coming out of the ground it is connected to a slab base. Its called a die in socket because there are metal pieces in the stone that fit into holes or sockets that are drilled into the slab of stone.

Die and socket found at Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Ledgers are coffin-sized slabs of stones that are flush to the ground. Ledgers oftentimes have carvings or inscriptions in the stone.

Ledger found at Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Mausoleums are small buildings that are specifically used for housing tombs. Mausoleums hold generations of deceased family members. They are the most luxurious of the types of gravestones.

Mausoleum found at Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Slant markers are pretty much big blocks of stone that are cut at a slant. These are one of the most simple forms of gravestones.

Slant marker found at Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul

Die, base, and cap are sort of a mix between a sarcophagus and a box tomb. Like the box tomb, the body buried beneath the monument but is more similar in appearance to a sarcophagus.

Die, base, and cap found at St. Patrick's Catholic Church

Ruth Miller: Charleston's Grave Master

On Monday, September 16th, our "Beyond the Grave" class had a guest speaker named Ruth Miller. Ruth Miller has been involved in Charleston history for over 40 years and is also a published author. Miller has written a total of seven books. Most of her books are about the historic churches found throughout the Holy City but she has other about the city's rich history. 

During her presentation, she talked about how in 1770 Charleston was the most cosmopolitan city and by 1776 Charleston's population greater than New York and richer than Boston. Against popular belief, Charleston didn't gain its wealth from tobacco or cotton plantations but rice plantations. The first three ships to arrive in Charleston came from Europe and picked up slaves from the West Indies. Miller stated that "75% of all rice in the world came from Charleston".

One thing that blew me away is that in the 18th century Charleston's population had more black people than white people but none of them are in the graveyards. The city has done lots to help hide its history of slavery. None of the plantations have the slave courters, the market is now a touristy shopping attraction. Miller said, "what you don't see is just as important as what you do see." 

Only rich white people were able to be buried in the graveyard in Charleston. Because of this bodies are partially buried throughout the city. When the Addlestone Library was being constructed the builders uncovered 36 unidentified bodies that were believed to have belonged to slaves. Miller said, "bodies bodies everywhere" to emphasize the thousands of bodies that are buried under the streets if the city.

Ruth Miller's presentation was incredibly informative. When I was younger my family would take vacations to Charleston one a year. Getting to here the in-depth history of a city I know and love was really interesting and will be an experience I won't forget.

Haunted Unitarian Church

History

The infamous Unitarian Church in downtown Charleston is located on 4 Archdale St. Charleston, SC 29401. The church was built in 1772 but wasn't complete until 1787 because of damage that was caused by the Revolutionary War. This makes the Unitarian Church the oldest Unitarian Church in the south. It was built to help balance the Circular Congregation's large population of churchgoers. For the next 30 years, the two church held the same sermons as well as the same two ministers.

Architecture

The architect, Francis D Lee first intended for the church to be built in a Georgian style but when it was rebuilt after the war he transformed it into a Gothic Revival style. The church is commonly known for its a tall rectangular tower with beautiful stained glass windows.

Graveyard

The main reason our group chose this graveyard is because of how different it is from the other church graveyards. One thing that stood out to us was how overgrown it is. The easiest and my favorite way to enter the graveyard it through the King St. entrance which is across the street from the Charleston Library Society. When turning into the back entrance it's quite easy for a person to get distracted by the jungle-like ally. As you continue to walk you can see the parts of gravestone peaking out from behind the overgrown greenery. One thing that was interesting about graveyard was that some sets of graves were sectioned off from the rest with fences. Multiple sources claim that they have seen a heartbroken ghost of a young girl wandering the graveyard late at night. 

A lot of the headstones had vases with fabric over top of them

Hurrication

The second that my roommate and I found out that we were getting evacuated we couldn't help but start packing to go home. For most of the day, my roommate and I were in a study room trying to grind out some assignments so it was extremely rewarding realizing that we could go home and not have to deal with school work. That night my parents drove down to Charleston and stayed in a hotel so early the next morning they could pick me up and avoid traffic. Monday morning my parents picked me up and we drove three hours back to Charlotte, NC. It was nice to be able to see my family again but the best part was getting to see my puppy.

 A week before the evacuation I texted one of my friends telling him that I wanted to surprise his girlfriend (my best friend) when I get back. We decided that we will meet at a restaurant but my friend will lie to my other friend and tell her that they were going for his grandfather's birthday dinner. That evening I showed up at the restaurant early and when they arrived at the restaurant she was so surprised. She had no idea that I was being evacuated so it worked out well.

After being home for a while my family thought it would be fun to go to Isle of the Palms before they drop me off at college. We spent two days at the beach and on Saturday my family and I got lunch in Charleston and then later they helped me move back into my dorm. Although I didn't do much during the hurrication it was nice to relax at home and catch up with my family and friends.