Community Christian Church Cemetery

Locality: Roanoke County                  Temporal Period:                  20th century

Realty Map:          98.01-2-18                              Cultural Affiliation:              Indeterminate

USGS Map:           Garden City                           Landform:                              Ridge bench

Grid Locus:            E-6                                          Elevation:                              1240 feet

UTM Easting:       592510                                    Aspect:                                  Northeast

UTM Northing:    4117690

Site Dimensions:  65 by 65 feet

Survey Description: Site consists of a small cemetery associated with a church.  Cemetery contains a minimum of 42 interments including: 16 marked with granite, cement, or metal markers; 19 marked with uninscribed fieldstone markers, and at least seven unmarked graves.  Other graves may be present.  All graves are oriented between 60 and 75 degrees.  Cemetery is associated with a late 19^th-century or early 20^th century frame church now named Community Christian Church.  Current minister reported that when property was acquired the cemetery was overgrown and enclosed by a deteriorated fence.  During clearing of the cemetery two large oaks, numerous yucca plants and scrub brush were removed.  Afterwards, a galvanized pole and chain-link fence was erected.  Cemetery is now covered with mowed grass. Minister also reported that most recent burial accidentally disturbed the unmarked grave of an infant and he lamented the difficulty of determining where previous interments were located.  Site is bordered on two sides by Route 678, Sandlewood Drive.  Site was field inspected, photographed, and headstone inscriptions were transcribed.  Site size was estimated by pacing the horizontal extent of the surrounding fence lines.

Survey Date:         2/98

Field Notes:           x Yes    No

Photographs:        x Yes     No

Reference(s):         None

Additional Comments: Assigned temporal period is based on death dates observed on headstones and association of the cemetery with a late 19^th-century or early 20^th century church.  The presence of numerous uninscribed fieldstone markers may reflect and earlier use of the site.  Site is not marked on the USGS Garden City map sheet or on local realty maps.  Archival research is necessary to determine the cultural affiliations of the cemetery as well as its historic name and date of establishment.

Marker Inscriptions:

Lovelace                                                                Thompson                                             Emma B. Smith

Alvah T.                                Azzie T.                                  Harvey W.             Laura D.                                 Nov. 1, 1865

1911-1947               1891-1936                               Sept. 13, 1891        Apr. 1, 1885                           May 28, 1942

June 4, 1958           May 8, 1967

Miller                                                      Reba Anges Miller                                               Cora K. Robertson

Ernest R.                Pauline T.                              1947 - 1995                                                             July 24, 1888

Apr. 8, 1914           May 10, 1919                         (metal marker)                                                       Mar. 25, 1957

Apr. 4, 1991           ______

Community Christian Church Cemetery (continued)

John H. Robertson                                               Edmond Hansford Cash                                      Rena E. Carpenter

Dec. 23, 1868                                                         May 10, 1905                                                         Feb. 22, 1886

Apr. 14, 1949                                                         July 3, 1960                                                            Jan 15, 1957

Tho lost to sight, to memory dear.

Raymond L. Donehue                                         deteriorated metal marker

Mar. 25, 1912                                                         with missing letters & numbers

Aug. 31, 1968

Lula. Tolley. Donahue                                         Earnest. Oliver. Donehue

Feb. 17, 1896 - July 10, 1959                                Aug. 25, 1900 - Sept. 22, 1991

(cement and metal markers                                 (cement and metal markers)