Clemson in Pickens County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Woodland Cemetery Clemson University / Fort Hill Slave and Convict Cemetery
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021
1. Woodland Cemetery Clemson University Marker side
Woodland Cemetery Clemson University. Clemson University's Woodland Cemetery began as statesman John C. Calhoun's Fort Hill Plantation graveyard. Early maps show the hillside had been an orchard. The first known burial was a child, also named John C. Calhoun, who died in 1837. Clemson College laid out the present cemetery in 1924 as a graveyard for faculty and staff. Many prominent Clemson University leaders are buried here.
Fort Hill Slave and Convict Cemetery. African Americans enslaved at Fort Hill were buried along the hillside below the Calhoun family plot in graves marked only by field stones. The exact number of burials is unknown. Beginning in 1890, Clemson College leased prisoners, primarily African Americans, from the state to construct campus buildings. Until 1915, those who died during their incarceration were buried adjacent to the slave cemetery.
Erected 2016 by Clemson University. (Marker Number 39-18.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021
2. Fort Hill Slave and Convict Cemetery Marker side
this page online
Location. 34° 40.596′ N, 82° 50.502′ W. Marker is in Clemson, South Carolina, in Pickens County. Marker is on Williamson Road just west of Williamson Road, in the median. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2717 Williamson Rd, Clemson SC 29631, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Calhoun Plantation Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Asbury F. Lever (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Memorial Park / The Scroll of Honor (approx. 0.2 miles away); Howard's Rock (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Maxwell Poe Plaza (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Hill (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sirrine Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Hill Slave Quarters / Clemson College Convict Stockade (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clemson.
Also see . . .
1. Who Might be Buried Here? (PDF). Brochure with map and timeline of the university's efforts to locate and identify African American graves in and around Woodland Cemetery. (Submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. At Clemson, unmarked slave graves highlight plantation past. Associated Press article
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021
3. Woodland Cemetery Clemson University / Fort Hill Slave and Convict Cemetery Marker
Marker is at the cemetery entrance.
3. Woodland Cemetery Historic Preservation. Details and timeline about the cemetery, including updates on the university's efforts to properly document African American graves. (Submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
4. Woodland Cemetery. ClemsonWiki entry on the cemetery, detailing its history from its beginning as a family burial ground to current efforts to locate slave graves. (Submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Additional keywords. forced labor; penal labor
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 6, 2021
4. African American Cemetery Site
Numerous identical signs throughout the area mark locations of what are believed to be African American graves. As of 2021, the university is in the process of trying to locate these previously unmarked or forgotten gravesites. At the time of this submission, 667 had been identified.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 8, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 434 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on November 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
