Preserving Woodland Cemetery

Clemson University, founded in 1889, has a rich and complex history. Part of the complicated history is in the Woodland Cemetery. Many important families and those honored by Clemson are buried there; however, recently the University discovered hundreds of unmarked graves. The Woodland Cemetery Preservation and Memorial Creative Inquiry project, led by Dr. Sara Collini in the Department of History and Geography and Dr. Rhondda Thomas in the Department of English, aims to restore dignity and respect to those buried there by identifying remains and establishing a memorial in their honor. 

This Creative Inquiry project arose after two students, Sarah Adams and Morgan Molosso, ‘21 graduates, visited the Fort Hill Slave and Convict Cemetery and found it in a state of disrepair. After a clean-up of the site, further research, which used using ground penetrating radar, discovered an additional 667 unmarked graves. 

The team collaborates with the Special Collections and Archives Department of the Libraries to [ what are they looking for]. They look throughUsing the special collections and archives the team looks for  first- and second-hand accounts, artifacts and other records within the special collections and archivesthat are tied to the cemetery. Most of the records are digital now, but the students also search original journals and books. “Academically, this has really helped me in understanding how archives work and the whole process of pulling an item or just trying to find something that you’re looking for within an archive,” Beau Clarey, a junior history major, said. 

Everyone working with this project emphasizes the importance of this work to Clemson, the community and the memory of the unknown individuals buried in the cemetery. “We can’t change the past, and we don’t know how much we’re going to be able to do in the future, but we can encourage people to think about all the people on campus, living or dead and how Clemson got here in an empathetic way,” Alexis Thomas, a junior history major, said. Many other participants echoed this same sentiment; the priority is uncovering history to make sure those forgotten are respected and the entirety of Clemson’s history can be remembered. 

To reach the greater Clemson community, the team works with Marquise Drayton, the community engagement assistant for Woodland Cemetery, to meet with descendants of the people enslaved by the University in the past, as well as other constituents in the area. Drayton knows community outreach and student work are essential to the success of the project. 

By involving Clemson University and the local community, the Creative Inquiry students can see the real impacts of their research has on people. Students learn an empathetic approach to archival research as those affected by the disrespectful burial of enslaved peoples, convicted laborers and others who have been mistreated by the University. The members of the Creative Inquiry will continue to make a collaborative effort to right the wrongs of history.