Historic Cemeteries

Oak Grove Cemetery is the oldest known public African American cemetery in Oconee County. Since 1880, this historic (now inactive) cemetery has been owned by the City of Seneca. Among the many loved ones buried at Oak Grove are veterans dating back to World War I. The oldest portion of the cemetery predates 1880 and research continues to unveil its history. In 2024, the city partnered with Clemson University to recover unmarked gravesites in the cemetery. Ground penetrating radar was used to locate existing anomolies, and plans are to install permanent markers for each of the burial spaces found. It is estimated that approximately 300 unmarked gravesites currently exist in Oak Grove Cemetery.

 

Mountain View Cemetery is an inactive historic cemetery owned and maintained by the City of Seneca. It dates back to 1881 at it’s present location, and its first location was on Fairplay Street at the end of Ram Cat Alley in downtown Seneca (the few graves at the first location were moved to the current cemetery on North Fairplay Street). In 1933, a stone gateway was built by the United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter Grays of Oconee County and dedicated to the “Men of the Confederacy who gallantly defended the southland during the war between the states [1860-1865].”

 

South Carolina State Laws

There are numerous South Carolina laws governing cemeteries. The following are of particular interest to those concerned with preserving and protecting historic cemeteries:

“Cemeteries are an important feature of South Carolina's diverse heritage. In addition to marking the final resting places of our ancestors, they yield information about our state's social, religious, artistic, and cultural heritage. They also contain genealogical information that cannot be found anywhere else.” - SC State Archives and History