Graveyards hold wealth of historic information

There are many ways to know the soul of a church. The architecture, steeple, and stained glass windows can be most revealing, but the history of its people, the founders, deacons and congregants holds more captivating stories.

Most churches have cemeteries filled with information. Again, only if preserved.

Last week’s column introduced All Saints Church, established by Rev. Philip Slaughter in 1855 and the current-day structure built in his honor in 1892. A church is more than a structure with four walls and a roof and a visit to its graveyard can be enlightening.

A wrought-iron fence encloses the graves of the Slaughter family; most notable among them is Phillip Slaughter, D.D., 1808-1890, lawyer, minister, historian, author and founder of Calvary later known as All Saints Church.

The Rev. Slaughter’s ancestral history reads like a who’s who of Virginia history but it was truly the local Culpeper community that reaped the benefits of his civil and spiritual commitment. Five years after graduating from the University of Virginia with a law degree, Slaughter followed a call to the ministry and entered the Virginia Theological Seminary. Married in 1834, ordained in 1835, Slaughter served as an Episcopal minister in Washington, D.C., Middleburg and Petersburg (Virginia) until 1848 when his failing health brought him home to Culpeper.

An advocate of the colonization of slaves in Liberia, Africa, Slaughter invested several years as editor of the Virginia Colonizationist and published The Virginia History of African Colonization. History was his forte’ and other published works included Memoir of Joshua Fry, Views from Cedar Mountain and the histories of Bristol, St. George’s, St. Mark’s and Truro Parishes.

Continuing through the cemetery, one will find the names of Frank S. Hall, M.D., Annie Norris, Randolph Latimer, Anna G. and James B. Smoot, Maggie, R.E., and Julia Simms, and Charles T. Crittenden (Co L, 13th Va. Vol. Inf., CSA).

In addition to these, there are some that are perplexing. In the fenced in area lying on the ground is a large broken stone cross engraved with the words Mary E. Slaughter, Jany 28, 1882. In the wooded area behind the Simms’ stones are yet more graves. Closer to the back of the church, near what appears to be construction work is the broken headstone of an Ellen (Nellie) Hansbrough, 1845-1918. Could she be one of the Stevensburg Hansbroughs and if so, how did she end up across the county in this cemetery? Are there other Hansbroughs buried here?

According to the 1938 WPA records housed at the Virginia State Library, others buried at All Saints and numerically near the Hansbrough stone were Phillip and Mary Mills Eastham and Sarah, Fountain, Sally, Lucy Ann and David Spotswood Mills. These headstones are not visible today.

It is an indisputable fact that when choosing a resting place for a loved one it is thought to be a permanent placement. It is up to us, the living, to care for these sacred places and insure that the inhabitants do indeed “Rest in Peace.”

Has anyone ever thought of forming a cemetery preservation organization? Maybe it is time.

Until next week, be well.