Love History? Or a good mystery? If you do then – COME DIG WITH US as we uncover the history of Old Stone Church and Cemetery.
Have you ever walked or driven by the Old Stone Church Cemetery and thought about the people buried in the cemetery? Ever wondered about a particular tombstone? The Old Stone Presbyterian Church is a historic treasure and the cemetery contains the final resting place of many of the founding families of Lewisburg and the Greenbrier Valley. Within the cemetery lies what may be the oldest marble tombstone west of the Allegheny Mountains. Old sandstone markers are in abundance but fading quickly with time. The Old Stone holds the grave of one West Virginia Governor and a memorial stone for a Confederate General. The most intriguing stories are not about the well-known or the well-connected but of the ordinary people who lived and died many with no family to remember them or care for their headstones.
The Old Stone Cemetery holds a few hidden secrets. Ever wonder about the real name of the church and cemetery? Is there any difference between the Old Stone Cemetery and the Lewisburg Cemetery? Could there be smaller cemeteries within the cemetery? Where were the Civil War dead buried and for how long? How many ministers from the Old Stone Church are buried within? Why are some parts of the cemetery without tombstones? Got more questions? Or are you just curious about a small, special part of Lewisburg and Greenbrier County? Then please join The Greenbrier Historical Society and Friends of the Old Stone Cemetery for “Come Dig with Us: Uncovering the History of the Old Stone Cemetery” on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the Old Stone Church.
We promise you an entertaining and informational evening as you watch the Old Stone Church and Cemetery grow before your very eyes.
Plus a workshop…
On Saturday, Aug. 29, The Greenbrier Historical Society will sponsor a repair workshop at the Old Stone Church Cemetery from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. You will learn the finer “points” of re-pointing around tombstones and monuments to ensure stones are properly sealed to prevent damage from moisture, biological growths or soiling. There will also be hands on training for building a proper drainage system for tombstones, how to re-level stones, how to raise sinking stones and a demonstration on building a socket system for common die-type headstones.
Though there is some lifting involved in tombstone repairs, it is not required but if you would like some hands-on experience, please bring a shovel and a pair of work gloves and let’s get digging! We also would like to encourage anyone who missed the two previous Cleaning 101 workshops to come out and join us. We will have a mini cleaning class for those interested. And anyone who joined us for an earlier Cleaning workshop is encouraged to come join us for a day of cleaning and fellowship as we prepare to put the cemetery to bed for the fall and winter. There are still many stones that need the biological growths scrubbed away to prevent further damage from the freeze/thaw cycle.
There is a $10 cost for a boxed lunch and those attending the repair workshop will be given the materials needed to do the re-pointing work along with some informational materials. Questions? Call Toni Ogden at the Greenbrier Historical Society at 304-645-3398 or email @ museum@greenbrierhistorical.org.