This photograph from Carol Timblin's article "Clear Creek Settlers Arrived with Slaves" shows the remnants of a coffin burial. It is likely most of the interred were buried in pine boxes, or perhaps a shroud. Anything of organic material will rot away quickly, but leaves behind archaeological evidence of what it once was.
Timblin, Carol. “Clear Creek Settlers Arrived with Slave.” Mint Hill Times, September 7, 2016.
Crumbling cemeteries make for extremely provocative photography. Stones show an immense amount of character including the broken and severely damaged stones. Since time and the elements obscure the identity of those buried here we cannot probe into the details of who's who, but we can ask questions about the physical stone itself. Ruth Little’s monograph Sticks and Stones, Three Centuries of North Carolina Grave Markers becomes a highly informative and useful book for researching cemeteries in North Carolina. It has information specific to North Carolina and the Piedmont region pertaining to cemeteries. The tombstones in this area should mostly be made from schist, slate, sandstone, or shale or sandstone (although sandstone was not the best choice for fine details).
Ruth Little. Sticks and Stones, Three Centuries of North Carolina Grave Markers. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
The stacked stone walls, added in 1922, were part of an early twentieth-century effort to preserve the historic cemeteries of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. By this point in time, the church was close to 200 years old and as a result, acted as a catalyst for the preservation of local and cultural heritage. According to records, the walls only enclose a portion of the cemetery and there are hundreds more buried outside the walls and deeper into the woods.
Kerr, Russell M. A History of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church Bicentennial Year 1770-1970. Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, 1970.
Kerr, Russell M. The Presbyterian Gathering on Clear Creek. Charlotte, Philadelphia Presbyterian Church (2001).
The vast majority of the cemetery is in very poor condition with many markers toppled over, lying down flat, or non-existent. Many of the gravemarkers are similar in color to the surrounding ground, causing them to camouflage well into their environment. If it were not for the stone wall, many passers-by likely would not notice the cemetery.
Several of the footstones show initials, however, it is unclear whether or not these are the actual initials of those buried here. A close inspection of these etchings makes them appear suspect. The footstone above clearly shows the initials EM, but the style of the lettering is not consistent with the style of the other epitaphs that we can still read. While it may appear to be an attempt at script lettering there are a few observations we can make to determine that these initials are not a part of the original marker. Besides the style, which we already pointed out, the letters appear carved through the fungus and into the stone. When we observe the fungal growth on the other epitaphs we see it affecting the entire stone including the lettering. Although it would be nice if fungal growth restricted itself in such a way that made lettering stand out more clearly, plant life is rarely ever this thoughtful and cooperative.
(Below) As a comparison, we can see the difference between the fine script found on Susannah Query's grave marker and the crudely scratched letters in the above footstones.
The footstone above clearly shows the initials MH, but the style of the lettering appears to be scratched into the stone, possibly with a pocket knife rather than finely chiseled by an artisan. It is not in a fine script and in comparison to the relief of the letters on the other gravemarkers, this lettering is in much deeper bas relief and shows fewer signs of weathering and age. Given the condition of the stone we normally expect these initials on a marker this old to be barely readable or completely worn away. In all likelihood, this is either vandalism or an extremely poor restoration attempt. Similar to the stone in the picture to the left, the lettering of the initials is inconsistent with the age of the marker and shows signs of tampering.
In contrast, we can make out a date on this stone, 1829. Fortunately for us, the numbers stand out nicely, however, they also show a clear difference in style between the numbering and the crudely etched initials above them. Additionally, we see a difference in relief.
The grouping of grave markers below shows a short length between the headstone and footstone, possibly indicating that these are the graves of children. Sadly, many children succumbed to illness and disease and died at a tender age.
