It was a thrill to read the following review of my "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston" by Francis Ford, a diector and lecturer at Clemson University’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, located in downtown Charleston in the Cigar Factory building on East Bay Street. Ms. Ford wrote the review at the request of the Association of Gravestone Studies, a national organization of fellow taphophiles.
Published in full color 8 ½ x 11 format on glossing pages with heavy bold print this hardcover volume catches one's eye with its bright green cover.
Harwood's writing style is simple and easy as if he was having a conversation with you directly. I suppose cultivated after many years of teaching college undergraduate students at the College of Charleston. In creating his narrative, he quotes historians, archivists, and online sources such as the church web sites, Wikipedia, blogs, printed church histories, and interviews with those closely connected to the sites among others. He supplies an index in the rear for those looking for specific information. He also supplies his sources and additional notes for readers.
For those unfamiliar with these locations Harwood first supplies a schematic drawing to help those who may use this book as a guide to explore. He also groups locations in relation to each other so planning a day of exploring would be made a much easier prospect. The church/synagogue buildings are not overlooked, and Harwood provides a basic history listing the important events and milestones at each site. Photographs of important interior features are supplied and information concerning accessibility.
Looking more closely at each churchyard he offers an introduction and basic facts such as the number of internments, common last names of those in the churchyard, prominent people, the oldest grave and notes concerning the records kept by the church and how to access them.
The "Five to Admire" section comes next and is, as Harwood describes contains, "particularly interesting elaborate, or unique gravesites. “ How he chose these is not clear but they reflect interesting shapes, iconography, inscriptions and stories.
His research was through the use of old city newspapers, city directories, Ancestry, blog posts, Find-a-grave, and historians among others. "The Stories from the Grave" section looks at the interesting stories associated with some of those interred. Those chosen were newsworthy in some way by what they did in life or death. This section is especially interesting as one walking through these cemeteries admiring and reading markers would rarely also have the backstory. Harwood has done this for his readers and supplied in-depth research to make a cemetery visit a much more educated and enjoyable one.
Some of the more interesting in this section for a reader might be the wooden marker for Mary Ann Brewster Luyten found in the churchyard of St. Michael's Church. A legend that is not based in fact makes for a good story. Over at First Scots, Harwood points out the ledger stone for the parents of famed architect Robert Mills. Robert grew up in the church although he is buried in Washington D.C. where he designed the Washington Monument.
The results of war are highlighted in many churchyards. At KKBE, Harwood tells us of eight grave markers from the Civil War, showcasing Dr. Marx E. Cohen Jr. whose impressive obelisk includes in relief a plugged cannon and the crossed flags of South Carolina and the Confederacy. At Second Presbyterian another Civil War casualty, Lt. Robinson who died on the war’s bloodiest day at the Battle of Sharpsburg is honored with a tablet here but buried elsewhere. Many more are offered to suit everyone’s taste for either a good legend, interesting iconography, poignant inscription, or touching story.
He finishes with a quick overview of the cemeteries which include many historic black cemeteries established in the city’s Neck area outside of downtown Charleston which form the Charleston Cemetery Historic District. Maybe this is a preview of his next cemetery publication.
Frances Henderson Ford
Conservation Lecturer/ Director, Architectural Conservation Labs
Clemson University Graduate Program in Historic Preservation
School of Architecture / Charleston Design Center
701 East Bay Street, Suite 202
Charleston, SC 29403
office (843) 937-9569 cell (843) 224-0149
fford@clemson.edu
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