We’ll lose humanity of the enslaved, if we don’t respect history that’s here with us
It’s called Fishing Creek Place Cemetery.
The site is a remote area of Rock Hill, S.C. Many of you know about it by now. The Herald has published stories about the graves of enslaved people. The graves had been among the trees, cloaked by nature.
On first glance, one sees mere stones and sunken ground. Andrew Lazenby, and his wife, saw more and now are working to ensure dignity and humanity are restored.
There’s one particular area that’s about 15-by-15 square feet. You see what first looks like naturally-occurring stones protruding from the ground. Then you look again and you see hand-carved characters hewn in the stones. In one, you see the letter “H”; in another there’s “IT”; and in a third there’s “C”.
Those rocks with the weather-worn letters, sparsely spread in a field, mark the remains of people who were enslaved.
“I haven’t changed those in the ground,” Lazenby said. “Those rocks are exactly where they were when we found them.”
That small area now is surrounded by graceful gray markers. Each with a number -- 1 through 144. The more-recently-placed markers also mark the resting places of people who were enslaved.
Credit for the new markers goes to Lazenby and his wife, Mary Sanders Lazenby, who cared enough to bring attention and dignity to the two-acre area. They paid for the markers and hope to make this a proper, fenced-in cemetery.
Lazenby’s land is part of an easement owned by the Nation Ford Land Trust. There are tax breaks associated with easements, and there are limits on what can -- and can’t -- be done with the land. But Andrew Lazenby says tax breaks are not what motivates him.
“Even if I hadn’t got any offsets, I would not have done anything different,” Lazenby said. “I like sleeping at night. I was told I should have plowed it over... We are heartbroken at how much history is being lost.
“I thought I know some history. But I had no clue. It was far more violent, far more horrific. We’re losing this, and we’re not getting it back.”
Talking about slavery can be sensitive for some. For others, it’s a point of pride because they’re descendents of enslave people who showed determination and ingenuity. And the legacy stands.
Saturday will be an opportunity to witness a bit of that legacy. The Nation Ford Land Trust will host “The 144: Honoring the Lost Ancestors” fundraiser. For more information contact the Nation Ford Land Trust.
I’ll be there.
I hope to meet descendants connected to the people buried there. I want to hear the recollections that have been handed down.
That’s how we connect the present with the past, and ensure that when we view the markers -- even with only numbers -- we think of people.
“We look at it as the tomb of the unknown,” Lazenby said. “But it’s somebody.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 7:40 AM.
