Mapping Charleston’s Black Burial Grounds
Learn more about this community-led mapping initiative to document historic, Black burial grounds, made possible by a National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant.
About the Project
PURPOSE
The Mapping Charleston’s Black Burial Grounds Project is a community-led initiative to identify threatened gravesites in the City of Charleston, South Carolina. Made possible by funding from the National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant Program, the digital map aims to increase public awareness of Black burial grounds to strengthen protections for these sacred spaces as Charleston grows and develops.
PARTNERS
Project partners include the Preservation Society of Charleston (PSC), Anson Street African Burial Ground Project (ASABG), and the City of Charleston Department of Planning & Preservation, with the support of the International African American Museum.
SCOPE
The scope of this project is limited to burial locations within the City of Charleston’s Urban Growth Boundary and the Ashley River Historic District. These project boundaries were selected to support more transparent and informed land use decision making in the City of Charleston. A first-of-its-kind resource, this map can be referenced by residents, descendants, policy makers, and members of the development community to better understand and protect gravesites citywide.
The project scope includes burial grounds on public and private property. Please note that South Carolina law regulates access to burials on private property by granting family members and descendants ingress and egress with advanced notice to the landowner, who may designate the frequency, duration, and route of access. Please review Section 27-43-10, SC Code of Laws for more details.
EXPLORE THE MAP NOW
A NOTE ON LANGUAGE
While this map is intended to be inclusive of all burial sites in the City of Charleston, the purpose of the project is to convey the extensive, historical presence of burial grounds associated with African descendant communities. Accordingly, gravesites identified on the map are categorized as “Black burials probable” or “Black burials unlikely.”
The terminology, “Black burials probable,” indicates that available research supports the interment of people of African descent at a particular location. These locations are associated with a variety of distinct communities, contexts, and experiences. From rural burial sites containing the unmarked graves of enslaved Africans, to African American burial society cemeteries in urban Charleston that remain active today, the varied histories of Black communities in the Lowcountry are reflected in diverse burial grounds citywide.
“Black burials unlikely,” indicates that available research does not support the interment of people of African descent at a particular location. In many instances, these burial grounds are associated with historically white communities and institutions that operated under racially restrictive policies and practices.
Gravesite locations are further categorized depending on whether burial markers are visible. Locations with visible markers range from well-maintained institutional cemeteries to inactive burial grounds with just a handful of remaining headstones. Locations without visible markers are sites where historical records indicate the presence of burials but are not immediately legible as cemeteries. Conditions may include sites where markers were lost or removed or burials were relocated, and those impacted by development.
METHODOLOGY: CREATING A LIVING RESOURCE
This map was created utilizing existing a variety of sources, including GIS data from the City of Charleston, Charleston County, and Berkeley County, the Chicora Foundation’s 2010 report, The Silence of the Dead: Giving Charleston Cemeteries a Voice, as well as community input facilitated by PSC and ASABG from 2022-2024.
Please note that burial locations and other map features are approximations and should be considered only as a reference tool. Map information is subject to change pending additional research. To this end, the map also includes a survey where community members can suggest additional information and share their knowledge of local burial grounds. To offer additional information about a burial ground represented on the map, suggest a revision, or submit a new burial location, click the “Survey” tab above. Your input is a valuable contribution to this ongoing effort to identify and protect Black burial grounds in the City of Charleston.
“This work ties into a broader national conversation. Our aim is to ensure proper care for the resting places of those who built our cities yet were denied equal access to land and financial resources. We have the opportunity now in Charleston to recognize burial sites as a core part of the landscape of historic places that deserve protection.”
– Brian Turner, President & CEO, Preservation Society of Charleston.”
Community leader Fred Lincon pictured where construction of a residential development in Cainhoy was halted when developers were notified of the presence of unmarked African American burials
Community Engagement
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| Listening sessions at the James Island Baxter Patrick Library and the Keith School on the Cainhoy peninsula. | |
Black history has been severely under-collected and often exists more so in personal memories, oral tradition, photographs, and family papers than in formal archives. With this in mind, two years of community engagement form the foundation of this project. From 2023 to 2024, PSC and ASABG built relationships with community members citywide whose knowledge of Black burial sites significant to their neighborhood and family histories shaped this project. Thank you to all who gave generously of your time and memories to make this map a reality!
In 2023, the PSC and ASABG hosted a series of listening sessions throughout the City of Charleston, where conversations began. At these initial sessions, community members learned more about the project and shared information about burial grounds important to them as a springboard for continued dialogue.
In June 2024, community members gathered for a Mapping Charleston’s Black Burial Grounds Project preview event. This was the community’s first opportunity to provide feedback on a draft citywide map, which was incorporated as development of this resource progressed throughout the summer. Community members reconvened in September 2024 for an Empowerment Session featuring a detailed map tutorial and roundtable discussion about leveraging this project to achieve community goals.
Because this map is a living resource to which new information can continue to be added, community input is always welcome. Please share your contributions using our survey and do not hesitate to reach out to Laurel Fay, Manager of Preservation & Research at lfay@preservationsociety.org.
Resources
Descendants’ Rights to Access Burial Grounds
Abandoned Cemeteries Laws Explained
What can I do if a cemetery is not being maintained?
Cemetery Conservation Guide (National Center for Preservation Technology and Training)
African American Civil Rights Grant Program
Burial Ground Protection Resources
City of Charleston Cemetery Protection Ordinance
Mapping Charleston’s Black Burial Grounds | Virtual Lunch + Learn