Yesterday, Russell asked me to join him on a tour he was leading of the historic Springwood Cemetery. Though I do not often make a habit of touring cemeteries, Russell assured me that this was more of a history lesson and a way to understand and get to know a little bit more about the people who dedicated their lives to helping Greenville to become what it is today.
Nestled beneath the shelter of huge magnolia trees and cornered by Main Street and Elford, it surprisingly takes little effort to imagine what the cemetery might have looked like in its early days as the Old Village Graveyard in 1829. Though some of Greenville's taller buildings form the backdrop of the immediate horizon, old Confederate markers, ancient symbols and wrought iron gates offer a glimpse of life two centuries ago.
Walking through the cemetery, anyone who has been in Greenville for any manner of time will recognize street and building names on the faces of various tombstones. Furman University has its own section where past presidents and benefactors are buried. There are unknown soldiers' graves for over 80 of the total 120 Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery. The Southern Baptist Seminary has a plot for faculty members including Toy, Whitsett, Boyce, Broadus, Manly and Pettigru--all with street names dedicated to them, including the street where Greenville Forward is located, Manly Street.
There are lamb sculptures on the graves of babies and children and broken columns to signify a life cut short. World War I veterans are buried here and the cemetery is almost entirely white with a small African American burial site located in a separate part of the property.
And, with any cemetery, there are certain "weird" occurrences that instigate tales of ghosts and folklore, particularly around Halloween. One of my favorite stories about the "people" buried in the cemetery involve the Stevenson family. Their beloved dogs were loved so much that when they passed, they buried them in their family plot, indicating that they were both "sons" to avoid the laws preventing animals from being interred there. Supposedly, when their owner died, there was almost no room to bury him due to the space taken up by the two pets.
Walking the paths through Springwood, it is impossible to flee the history that fills each square foot. Every grave tells a story and the Upcountry History Museum has a wealth of information about the lives that shaped Greenville's future and whose legacy is remembered in the beauty that is the Springwood Cemetery.
For more information or to find out how to go on a walking tour like this one, get in touch with Greenville Walking Tours or just visit the cemetery and pick up an informational pamphlet or map.
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