On the way back from our paddling trip on Monday Alan and I stopped by the Duncan Chapel Methodist Cemetery, better known as the “Children’s Cemetery.” Alan had never been here, and was unaware of the cemetery’s existence. I had visited before, and was both intrigued by the history, and disturbed by the amount of desecration. This visit there was a bit more weirdness going on.
The cemetery got it’s nickname because there are many children buried here, but there are also many adults. On this visit we noticed that most of the children’s headstones had either stuffed animals or little toys. One even had a couple of doll baby bottles at the base of the headstone.
Most of these graves were from the early 20th Century, so I don’t understand why the toys were left. I don’t know if it was some pseudo-paranormal group, someone even more deranged. I can only hope that this behavior is more respectful than those that have knocked over the headstones. It may be weird, but I at least it isn’t destructive.
At a few cemeteries in the Midlands I have seen children graves from the late 1800s and into the first few decades of the 20th century decorated with modern toys. Lots of Matchbox cars. I don’t know, but imagine the toys were left by relatives.
i have visited this graveyard several times before and have seen the toys on the graves. it is my understanding that paranormal and ghost hunters will leave “trigger items” on the graves in attempt to bring out spirits. this may be the case.
Thanks, David. Having watched enough episodes of “Ghost Hunters” this makes sense.
THank-you for the pictures. I always find blogs more interesting with pictures. It’s a shame, it seems the cemetary is forgotten. Is it a family cemetary? I’m wondering, because modern “gifts” or rememberances that were left might be from a new generation of family re-discovering their roots?
Mary B
I am not interested in the paranormal stuff relative to this cemetery, but found out about it from one of my students and became interested in the history. Ironically I lived at the Vinings at Duncan Chapel apartments and had no idea about this place. Tom, I wondered if you’ve found any more about the history. I looked some things up on the Greenville County deed register. I found the land plat, and found out that what is now Duncan Chapel Rd. wasn’t always there. That drive that you refer to as Thackston Rd. was the original Duncan Rd. It is still named that as late as 1939 when the church property is sold to the Stewart’s who sell it to the Thackston’s in 1941. The land there is now owned by Jack Shaw. What this means, is the ruins on the other side of the drive can’t be the church, it wasn’t on the church property. Also, according to the soil map of 1921 the church is not where the gas station is, but would be between Buncombe Rd and the Vinings. Hope this helps, and if you, or anyone else for that matter, have any more information, please e-mail me at mroeder421@charter.net. Thanks.
Thanks for the info, Mark. I really don’t have much info about the location apart from one obscure reference in A. V. Huff’s book about the history of Greenville.
That info from Huff’s book is what started my tracking things down. I found out that the Duncan’s owned much of the property around there and eventually sold it off by the middle of the 1860s. Eventually all the land around there was owned by various members of the Thackstons. I can’t find out much about Thackston Dairy, that some people have referenced, but did find some Thackston Dairy milk bottles on some auction sites, so it is possible that the dairy was located there as it was in the possession of Thackstons even before they purchased the church property. I don’t know about different sections of the cemetery, because that is not mentioned in the deeds, they simply reference a reservation for the cemetery, but if the dairy was there, it would answer why there are graves dating after the sale of the church to private owners. I believe the church discontinued sometime in the 1920s but don’t know why, or what happened to the building. Still trying to find that out.
Excellent. Mark, you might also try Furman. They just had a celebration of 50 years on the present campus, which is where Thackston Dairy was located. They would probably have more information.