Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Laurelwood Cemetery
Photographed by Mark Parker, September 25, 2025
1. Laurelwood Cemetery Marker
This cemetery, the first municipal cemetery in Rock Hill, was established in 1872 when the city acquired a six-acre tract from Anne Hutchinson White. Her son Rev. James Spratt White and Mayor Iredell Jones laid out the cemetery, and Rev. White named it Laurelwood. Two additional tracts were acquired from the White family in 1894 and 1914 to enlarge the cemetery to its present size of almost twenty-five acres.
Noted landscape architect Earle S. Draper was hired by the City of Rock Hill to design a plan for the 1914 tract, featuring winding drives and streets and selected plantings. This cemetery, with more than 11,000 graves, includes individuals and families significant in the history and development of Rock Hill from 1872 to the present. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Erected 2014 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by The City of Rock Hill. (Marker Number 46-55.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. In addition, it is included in the South Carolina Historical Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1872.
Location. 34° 55.844′ N, 81° 2.061′ W. Marker is in Rock Hill, South Carolina
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Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mount Prospect Baptist Church (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Confederate Heroes (about 800 feet away); Rev. M. P. Hall D.D. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Reverend M. P. Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); World War Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wheels in Motion (approx. 0.4 miles away); White Oak (approx. 0.4 miles away); Sugarberry (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rock Hill.
Other markers no longer nearby. Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company / Rock Hill Buggy Company and Anderson Motor Company (was approx. Ό mile away but has been confirmed missing); Rock Hill Buggy Company / Anderson Motor Company (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Mark Parker, September 25, 2025
2. Laurelwood Cemetery Marker Reverse
Photographed by Mark Parker, September 25, 2025
3. Laurelwood Cemetery Marker, looking towards the cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 67 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 25, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
