Carney-Pace Cemetery

Locality: Roanoke County                  Temporal Period:                  3rd quarter 19th c., 1st & 2nd

Realty Map:          40.17-2-7                                                                                quarters 20th c.

USGS Map:           Roanoke                                                Cultural Affiliation:              Euro-American

Grid Locus:            K-7                                          Landform:                              Ridge bench

UTM Easting:       598780                                    Elevation:                              1060 feet

UTM Northing:    4130390                                  Aspect:                                  Southeast

Site Dimensions:  35 by 35 feet

Survey Description: Site consists of a small cemetery with at least 13 interments.  Five interments were marked with inscribed markers, at least six interments were marked with uninscribed fieldstone markers, and two dislodged cement markers lean against a tree.  Two Thrasher interments are enclosed by a low cement wall.  Site is surrounded by horse pasture and is overgrown with brush; a tall cedar appears to be the only historic planting.  A circular path around the cemetery had been mowed when field inspected.  Three uninscribed fieldstone markers were observed in the mowed area in the north side and two uninscribed fieldstone markers and one cement base were observed in the mowed area in the east side of the site.  All of these fieldstone markers were broken with only the bases left intact and in the ground.  Tall vegetation surrounding the site hindered recognition of any other graves or markers around the site.  Site was field inspected, photographed, and headstone inscriptions were transcribed and compared to previous site documentation.  Site size was estimated by pacing the horizontal extent of observed graves and markers.

Surveyed By:        T. Klatka & D. Richardson

Survey Date:         7/9

Field Notes:           x Yes    No

Photographs:        x Yes     No

Reference(s):         Kagey, Deedie Dent

1983  Community at the Crossroads: A Study of the Village of Bonsack of the Roanoke Valley.  Privately printed, Roanoke, Virginia.

Roanoke Valley Historical Society

                                1986        Roanoke County Graveyards Through 1920.  Privately printed, RVHS, Roanoke.

Additional Comments: Temporal affiliation of the site based on observed headstones with inscribed dates ranging from 1883 through 1936.  However, the presence of uninscribed markers may indicate an earlier or later use. Reported site size is an estimated minimum size.  Tall vegetation precluded a reliable estimate of site size.  The RVHS documented biographical information from five graves that predated 1921 and reported a site size of approximately one-quarter acre (1986:  41-42).  Site name was derived from the RVHS report.  Although no markers with the name Carney were observed at the site, Kagey (1983: 207) reported “several Thrashers and Carneys are in this graveyard.”  This suggests additional interments are present.

Marker Inscriptions:

Pace                                        James E. Pace                        Peachie E.                              S. F. Thrasher

Charles                   Georgia                  Died                                        wife of                                    July 23, 1850

Valentine               Synam                    Aug. 27, 1888                        Stephen F. Thrasher            Mar. 17, 1918

1852-1936               1863-1918               aged                                       Born

61 years                                 Dec. 18, 1853

Died

June 5, 1883