George and Polly Gilmore's Graves
This area contains several graves of the Gilmore family. Most prominent among these are the graves of George and Polly Gilmore who are buried beneath the depressions in front of this sign. These depressions formed when the coffins collapsed and the grave fill settled.
Discovering the Past
When George Gilmore was buried in the family cemetery in 1905, his grave was marked with a field stone; Polly Gilmore's grave has no stone marker, but is marked by a single piece of angle iron. This supports the Gilmore family's oral history which documents that after Polly's death, their graves were marked with one of their prized possessions, the iron headboard of their double bed. Placing cherished items on loved ones' graves was a common practice in the African-American community.
Gilmore Family Tree
George and Polly Gilmore were not the first family members buried in the cemetery. The 1880 census lists the couple as having eight children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Archaeologists have found smaller depressions in the cemetery that probably mark the location of these infant graves. After the sale of the property in 1920, no other burials occurred here, and the Gilmores' adult children were buried elsewhere.
To protect the graves and
to honor the memory of the Gilmore family, please do not walk in the cemetery.
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