Cemetery Restoration

Over the past decade, Randolph Cemetery has had four phases of headstone restoration and one phase of plot border restoration. These were largely funded by the one-time state grant and additional grants from the Richland County Conservation Commission.

Each phase of headstone restoration resulted in cleaning and repairs to a few dozen stones, although hundreds are in need of attention. The large monument for Randolph himself was in the first phase of restoration. As the parts were lifted up to re-align the monument, a secret compartment in the bottom stone revealed a few coins and other items now safely stored at the S.C. State Museum. They are part of “grave goods” that blacks often left at the grave of loved ones, though most were placed directly on top of the grave themselves. These included broken pottery items owned by the deceased. Over the years many of these goods have washed away or become buried themselves, and it is not uncommon to find some bits of plates or other goods on the ground.

A one-time grant from Richland County Council in 2020 helped to cut down overgrown shrubs and trees that threatened headstones, allowed the driveway to be recoated, paid for the infill of many slumped graves, and assisted with the cost of grass cutting. These large projects have helped get the cemetery caught up on maintenance as we prepare for our 150th anniversary in 2022.

Restoring the headstones and brick plot borders is a priority for the CBRRC, as funding allows. The work done so far has made a great improvement in the appearance of the cemetery.