In Dorchester County, some burial sites are not just aging; they are disappearing, erased quietly by development, erosion, and time. Others remain in place but have already slipped from memory, unmarked on modern records and unknown to the people who now own the land.
That quiet loss is driving renewed urgency behind the Dorchester County Burial Sites Preservation Board, which has reemerged after years of inactivity. Its members say the work is not only about preserving known cemeteries but also about finding those that have already been forgotten.
Board Chair Erick Windsor said many of the most vulnerable burial sites are small family cemeteries tucked onto private land, often without clear documentation. As properties change hands or are subdivided, those burial grounds can easily be overlooked.
“There are situations where properties are being subdivided, and you don’t know where the burial site is,” Windsor said. “It’s not showing up in the last 60 years, so it kind of gets lost in the mix.”
Listen to hear details of the search for lost graves.
