This section of Sycolin Road was an African American Community developed in the last quarter of the 19th Century. It was created out of a larger tract of land know as "Egypt Farm" and was comprised of descendants of former slaves who worked the land and formed a community. In 1884 the first recorded African American baptisms took place at Sycolin Union Church by Rev. William Scott. They were Charles Norris, Thomas Smith, and Sally Daye. The trustees of the Union Church were also the owners of the land in 1884. William Manning built most of the pre-1902 houses in the area along with the Union Church. It is now known as the First Baptist Church of Sycolin. All of the homes are now gone, but the church remains. The community thrived for approximately 50 years. The inhabitants were strengthened by family and a neighborhood that had survived the experience of living through slavery and into segregation. It stood together from soon after the Civil War and beyond the Great Depression. Many lived, worked, and died in this community and are buried here.
The Sycolin Cemetery, consisting of two burial areas along this 900 foot loop trail, is the final resting place for many of those former residents who made their mark on this land and community. We may never know all the people who lie here, but we have identified about 65 graves. The
names below are of those that are known to be buried here based on research completed by the Thomas Balch Library.
Emanual Day 1866-1948
Ida Day 1902-1929
Dorothy Dean 1905-1925
Osburn "Fishy" Gant 1849-1927
Paul F. Johnson 1903-1947
Mary Murray 1893-1922
Robert White 1867-1954
Charles Norris 1871-1930
Mary B. Norris 1870-1923
Charles Sidwell 1880-1946
Fenton Tolbert 1856-1930
Landon Webb 1839-1913
Frances White 1866-1954
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