JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — A historic Black cemetery in the Honey Hill community on James Island is on its way to being reclaimed and restored.

The Honey Hill cemetery dates back to the 1870s and currently has seven visible headstones, but the community believes there are dozens more Black lives buried in the area.

With the help of the City of Charleston, the Preservation Society of Charleston and local advocates, the Honey Hill cemetery is on its way to full preservation. Last month, City Council approved a temporary license and access agreement with the Preservation Society of Charleston and Brockington and Associates to conduct a ground-penetrating radar survey of the site. Project leaders say they first need to locate the cemetery boundaries, find out who is buried there, and then work on identifying and notifying any potential relatives.

Laurel Fay is the manager of preservation and research at the Preservation Society of Charleston and said the cemetery is an important piece of James Island history.

“The cemetery is culturally significant in that it is part of that Reconstruction era history here in Charleston,” Fay said. “It’s part of the Gullah Geechee cultural heritage of our area as well, and so the cemetery is really important to preserve because it’s sort of hiding in plain sight behind this ball field at Stephen Washington Park.”

Fay said the next step of conducting the ground-penetrating survey is essential to the restoration process.

“Basically, what they will be looking for are evidence of unmarked burials,” Fay said. “And so with that data, we’ll be able to hopefully identify where those burials may have been and estimate how many people may be buried in the cemetery.”

Anna B. Johnson grew up in the Honey Hill community and has been a local advocate for Black burial grounds all across the Lowcountry, including the Evergreen Cemetery, also on James Island. Both Honey Hill and Evergreen cemeteries are two of nearly 200 burial grounds that have been documented through the Preservation Society of Charleston’s Mapping Charleston’s Black Burial Grounds project.

Johnson said she is hopeful to see Honey Hill fully restored and dedicated to honor the lives buried there.

“I’m just so happy that we are able to have this place cleared and we can see the graves much better and actually come and visit,” Johnson said. “The City of Charleston is doing a really good job trying to help clean it up now. I’m just looking forward to hearing about all of these other people buried here.”

She also said efforts like this can help prevent developers and municipalities from encroaching on sacred burial grounds.

Even though Evergreen Cemetery has been fully restored and recently received a new monument, Johnson said new construction right behind the cemetery has begun and is encroaching on some of the graves there.

The construction activity is raising community concerns over potential damage to large trees and cemetery boundaries. The nearby James Island Elementary School property is currently undergoing a site and drainage project, causing distress among local residents.

She also says efforts like this can help prevent developers and municipalities from encroaching on sacred burial grounds

“It makes me feel like my life is worth living,” Brown said. “If I was to die today or tomorrow, I feel like I’ve accomplished something because these are things that I believe in. I believe in the sanctity of people that’s passed on, having their final resting place and not being disturbed. If you want to build a house, find someplace else to build it. Don’t build it on my family.”

Although the construction isn’t directly on the property, both Brown and Johnson said a common courtesy that it was going to be right next to the burial grounds would’ve been appreciated.

Even so, Brown is glad preservation efforts are continuing with Honey Hill and hopes it can eventually be fully protected.

Project leaders say the survey will be done in September and hope to have a full picture of the cemetery by the end of the year.

“It’s a culmination of effort from the Honey Hill Community’s stewardship, the Preservation Society of Charleston, and the city,” Fay said. “And we’re really excited to be making this progress and are really looking forward to learning more about the cemetery this fall.”