Bringing a Cemetery Back to Life

Ethel Berry belongs to one of the Capital City's most respected black families. That's why so many of her relatives are buried at Randolph cemetery. The cemetery, built in 1871, is the oldest and most prestigious African-American cemetery in Columbia. It's also in extremely poor condition.“My grandfather was pastor of the oldest black church in Columbia, Ladson Presbyterian Church. My father was C.A. Johnson, his job was almost like superintendent of all the black schools and when C.A. Johnson high school was built it was named for him, because as I understand he made quite a contribution.” Families own plots at Randolph, but no one is responsible for it's care. Years ago, Berry helped form a group to keep up its image.“Oh it just breaks my heart, my little nephew came when daddy died, he wanted to know why'd you put granddaddy under all those weeds. The cemetery was full of weeds.”At 90 years old, Berry says she and many others with family at Randolph are unable to care for it. Mike Trinkley from the Chicora foundation is part of a group trying to bring this final resting place, back to life.“It was a gem, a star, and that star has been tarnished over time. How are we going to, in the long run, promote the preservation of this site? How do we make it something Columbia can be proud of?”Trinkley and others are asking for the community’s support to help restore Randolph.Here’s more information from the Chicora foundation and the South Carolina State Museum:Randolph Cemetery is a highly significant cultural resource in Columbia, S. C. Founded in 1871 by a small group of African-American men, the cemetery honors South Carolina Sen. Benjamin Franklin Randolph. Randolph was assassinated by whites in 1868 while campaigning for the Republican party in Abbeville County. This unique, National Register cemetery is in dire need of preservation. Randolph Cemetery may be the only cemetery in the country to contain the remains of nine Reconstruction-era legislators. These African-American legislators served South Carolina between 1868 and 1878. They are: Sen. Henry Cardoza (Kershaw) 1870-74; Sen. William Fabriel Myers (Colleton), 1874-78; Rep. Robert John Palmer (Richland0 1876; Sen. William B. Nash (Richland), 1868-77; Sen. B.F. Randolph (Orangeburg), 1868; Rep. William Simons (Richland) 1868-72 1874-76; Rep. Samuel B. Thompson (Richland), 1868-74; Rep. Charles M. Wilder, (Richland) 1868-70; and Sen. Lucius Wimbush (Chester), 1868-72.Time, inadequate financial resources and vandalism have taken a severe toll on the site. Conditions are critical and, if the cemetery is to survive, there must be immediate intervention.Michael Trinkley, Ph.D., and Elaine Nichols are partnering with the Randolph Cemetery Association to develop an action plan for preservation of the cemetery. We are asking interested citizens like you to join us in a brief, planning meeting to be held, Tuesday, August 16th from 9 am until 11 am at the South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC, (803) 898-4953. This is a public meeting, so please feel free to invite others. At that meeting we will discuss the history, and the current conditions of the site as well as brain-storm ideas for how to preserve the cemetery for future generations. At the end of the day, we want to have a plan that will move us towards preservation of the cemetery.Our fundamental faith is that those who care for Columbia’s history and heritage will band together and find a way to preserve this unique cultural gem. We need your support and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, August 16th.