Remembering Our Ancestors

Historic Elmwood Cemetery, Circa 1879, Henderson, North Carolina Celebrating 175 years 1841-2016.

Join the Vance County Historical Society for the first Elmwood Cemetery Walk on Sunday, October 30, 2016, 2pm-4pm, with a brief opening ceremony at 2pm.

As you walk along the paths of the cemetery, stop to hear the stories of the 38 of the families buried there. Volunteers will be stationed throughout the cemetery, many of them descendants of the deceased, to share their family history, photos, and stories about the area and historical time.

There is no designated route and there is no charge for the event. The Vance County Historical Society hopes that when you leave, you have learned something about our history as a city and county.

Now operated by the City of Henderson, Elmwood Cemetery was begun in 1879 by a group of men who first met at the drug store of J. R. Young & Co. to form the Henderson Cemetery Association. Capital stock was set at $5,000, later increased to $6,000. A Potter’s Field was designated for burial of the poor, with other lots sold at public auction. Records show the earliest individual plots sold for $5.

Although Elmwood’s first burials date from the fall of 1879, monuments with earlier dates are found on graves relocated to Elmwood at various times over the years from private burial grounds.