The Old Glenville Cemetery
















Today was a brisk fall day. With winter being only four days away, I decided that I would walk through the Old Glenville Cemetery located behind Louis Bennett Hall at Glenville State College. The historic cemetery is located on what we called “tank hill”, because one of the water tanks for the city of Glenville is located there. As I walked along the path that meanders along the border of the cemetery, my thoughts went back to the 1970’s when I, along with several of my colleagues, first established this nature trail. The physical work creating this trail involved several students who were part of a student summer work program. During the summer months, they blazed the trail, added mulch, and created handrails. They even established a wet area (which never was too wet since it would not hold water) and a small amphitheater.
The Old Glenville Cemetery has been ignored throughout the decades. Trees and vines had established their grip on the area. Not only have the graves been an integral part of the cycle of plant succession, but they also have been affected by vandalism. A number of gravestones have been destroyed, damaged, or misplaced by thoughtless individuals. Several years ago the Gilmer County Historical Society made an effort to clear the area of brush and trees.

My last posting detailed the death of Sarah “Sis” Linn and I decided I needed to provide for you another photo of her final resting place. As you see, her gravestone is intact. I have included some other photos of interesting gravestones. Even though the marker of J. J. Hendrick (Date of Death - 1957) is not as old as most of the markers, I always smile when I read his “message.”