We found several mostly intact headstones with legible inscriptions. There were several from the Keith, Carr, and Boyd families.
The names that seemed most prominent were Mack Boyd, Mack Carr, and William Keith. Mostly we found offspring of these three, but I made a note of the names for further research. As we wandered around the site we came upon more headstones, including one fieldstone with Carr hand-scratched upon it.
One name in particular got us excited. We came across one William Blythe and wondered if he might be related to the family for whom Blythe Shoals was named.
We looked for any sign of the church apart from the cemetery. Several limbs had fallen in such a way and rotted so that it looked kind of like a foundation or part of a building, but that was probably just a bit of matrixing on our part. However, we did find something. There was a bit of glazed glass that looked like it might have been part of an old light fixture. There was also a brick and a terra cotta pot.
We continued to search the area. We found a couple more stones, but the fallen trees made it just too difficult. There were also several metal grave markers, but these were hard to decipher.
I hope DNR can get out here and reclaim the cemetery. Once again I found myself wishing I had a metal detector, not to dig up anything, but to look for evidence of what had been.
We hadn’t been brave enough to bushwhack up to the church, but going straight downhill back to the road wasn’t a problem. We cut a bit of a corner off of our trip.
We walked back to the parking lot then crossed the road to the field below the dam. The structure we had seen earlier looked like it might have been a mill. Beyond that the space opened up into a field that reached over to the South Saluda River.
Mark wanted to find one more building he had spotted on a map. Above the parking area a muddy road led along the lake shore. We reached a place where there had been a building recently, but it was now thatched with new grass. An amazing stand of bamboo bordered this open area.
We walked back down to the cars. I was going to leave early to prepare for the evening’s rehearsal and Mark was going to explore the area a bit more. As we said our goodbyes, we watch a guy launch a canoe and paddle out to the mysterious tower on the island. We’ll have to do that next time.
But we weren’t through with Tall Pines by a long shot. There was much research to do. I wanted to know more about the South Saluda Church and the lives forgotten upon that hill. Turn the page to find out more…
This is the most interesting article I have read in a very long time. Certainly makes a person do some hard thinking about the place we will reside in the afterlife will look like after so many years. I truly the read. Thank you for taking your time and effort to print an article such as this.
Great article! I love finding old cemeteries and sharing the pictures and info for others to find. Awesome job!
Excellent post, Tom! I was not aware of any of this. The “lighthouse” in the middle of the lake makes me want to take a ride out there. Thank you for the great info on this area and the interesting characters who once lived here.
Thank you for the information here. I have walked part of the property, and can’t wait to get back and do more exploring on foot, or by kayak. Very interesting history of this place, and I am glad that DNR now has this property, and it will be protected for future generations to enjoy. My only concern is that the public will take care of this land and water as if it were their own. It is up to us, the hikers, fishermen, hunters and nature lovers to protect this place, and it’s history, as well. Thanks.
Amazing finds!! Just wanted to say that the white glass is a milk glass vase. I own one, so I recognized the pattern. ♡
I’m curious… Are you posting these graves and memories on findagrave.com?
I have not, yet, mainly because I wasn’t sure that I had enough information and the number of graves was rather sparse. I’d like to see what SCDNR does with clean up so that the site can be documented properly.
Tom I lived across Moody Bridge when the WIlkinsons still owned it and their daughter lived in the old farm house. We had a meager 75 acres and decided to get out of Dodge when the Wilkinson kids sold the place to the developers. That was just about the time things went south in the market and I’m pretty sure that’s what saved Tall Pines from being another cheesy golfing development. I truly wonder if the WIlinsons even knew about the cemetery! Great article!
This was very interesting. My ancestors cam from Glassy Mountain, and I love finding more about the area. Thanks for what you do.
Thank you for sending this article to me. It’s a very interesting blog post. As a society we have certainly quit thinking that the dead are sacred. Cemeteries across the state are falling to ruin. But I’m so glad this wild land is protected.
Very interesting article! I love old history and old cemetery’s! Interested in hearing more of your research on Tall Pines, South Saluda Baptist Church, the lakes, the cemetery, and the property!
What an amazing and interesting story! The details made it come alive. My ancestors settled in northern Greenville and Pickens counties in the late 1700s and I love reading stories about that area. Thanks!
Great article and welcome to the “I love old stuff” club…could be graves, houses, roads, books, and of course cemeteries/graves and now old people…good job!
Hi Tom, great post, and thanks for coming along! I finally completed my own post yesterday:
https://markemark4.blogspot.com/2019/03/at-tall-pines-and-what-we-found-there.html
Amazing story and photos. Thank you so much for perking my interest in learning more. My great great grandparents also settled around Greenville and Pickens Counties. Really has me curious now to see if family members are buried there in the cemetery. But, regardless, great research and photos. My hat off to you and Mark.
My family is from Pickens and Cleveland where I grew up and my Dad worked for Ga Pacific Lumber Mill in Cleveland and My Grandfather worked as a Blacksmith .
The Graves of William and Mattie Keith’s daughter Vienna were Black folk . don’t know if the South Saluda Church was a Black Congregation but back in those days I know for a fact Black and White folk attended the same church.These were poor farmers and farm laborers. Poshields @ yahoo .com