A Visit to Springwood Cemetery

During a recent visit to Greenville, South Carolina, I visited a large, well-kept cemetery located right in the heart of the city. Some of the early settlers of western Kentucky came from Greenville and surrounding counties and I wanted to see if the tombstones were similar to what is found in Kentucky.

Springwood Cemetery dates from 1829 and is still being used. The grounds are well maintained with a vast assortment of styles of tombstones. These tombstones were photographed 9 March 2013. Click on the photograph for an enlarged view.

 

Box tomb in Springwood Cemetery

 

I love box tombs and we see them fairly often in western Kentucky, but the ornate iron fence adds a special touch.

 

Tombstone of Andrew McDavid showing

cross with a crown.

 

The tombstone for Andrew McDavid has beautiful artwork. According to Stories in Stone by Douglas Keester, "The cross with a crown is a Christian symbol of the sovereignty of the Lord. The cross with a crown also denotes a member of the York Rite Masons."

 

CSA tombstones with Southern Cross of Honor.





My favorite of all tombstones in this cemetery are those for unknown Confederate soldiers. Each stone is accompanied by an iron Southern Cross of Honor. Also, the Southern Cross of Honor is engraved on the top of the tombstone.

 



Marker near the CSA tombstones

 

 

Published 23 March 2013, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealog.blogspot.com/