McCoy Slave Cemetery

I have lived nearby for 18-years and never knew this place existed. There is no sign or monument in the undescriptive, barely recognizable pull off on the side of the road. I parked and walked 300ft down the trail through the trees to reach a monument marker and saw the plain and bare cemetery bounded by a split wood rail fence. I said a prayer and paid my respects to the Human beings/ African Americans who worked the fields of the nearby McCoy plantation. I wish there was more here about these people. The memorial marker alludes that there just isn't any specific details known. I find that sad. I am sure their descendants are still around, but appears no one knows the names of who is buried here. Anyway, it's a quick stop to reflect back on history and to pay respect to these people. I encourage you to stop and check it out.

The awareness of our past is a warning to the future; thus, today, equating a human-being to property is incomprehensible. Upon reflection, we can be grateful for the attachments formed between Albert, Lizzie, Jim, Charles, and countless others. Bonds like these led to profound changes that began in the heart and grew to relieve a nation. The McCoy Slave Cemetery is a symbol of everlasting heart and enduring humanity that would not be diminished by maps, money, and melanin.

A Brief History

In the boundaries of this site lie the remains of the slaves and former slaves of the Albert McCoy (1843-1925) family. Scant historical documentation prevents any reliable names and dates of burials save for those mentioned on the memorial  marker placed by the McCoy descendants in 1928. Rough dates for burials extend from the antebellum era (1840’s) through the post-Emancipation period (1880’s). Given the size of the cemetery, it is estimated that 25-50 plots may exist on the site.
           The McCoy Slave Cemetery bears many of the indicators common to slave cemeteries in the United States. These include cultural practices that mix remnants of African traditions with those of Christian beliefs. Firstly, notice the use of periwinkle as ground cover; it was selectively easy to sow and easier to maintain than grass. Next, notice the stones that make up the center memorial; permanent grave markers were not typical to slave cemeteries – when, fieldstones were place by relatives to designate gravesites. Finally, although not negotiable, most slave cemeteries follow an east-west burial pattern: two explanations suggest reason for this: individuals were buried facing East towards their ancestral homeland, and those who were Christian were buried to face the eastern sunrise in preparation for the day of resurrection.
         Thomas McCoy (1873-1949), son of Albert McCoy and member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, established a perpetual trust to the parish in the 1940’s for the care and upkeep of the cemetery at St. Mark’s as well as the slave cemetery. His bequest has been faithfully maintained by the members of the church since his death.