The Madison County African American Historical Association (MCAAHA), together with the owners of Graves Mill Farm and Maple Glen Farm, will host a memorial ceremony at a cemetery for the enslaved in Graves Mill on Sunday, October 19, from 1-5 pm. The event will begin with a reception at Maple Glen Farm and move to the nearby cemetery for the ceremony.
Entitled “Silent Ground: A Community Memorial in Remembrance of the Enslaved,” the ceremony will include:
- A reading of more than 50 names of enslaved persons known to be buried in graveyards in the Graves Mill area. Viola Holmes, associate pastor of the Emmanuel Christian Center in Ruckersville and a descendant of enslaved persons in Graves Mill, will read the names.
- Dr. Mesha Jones, MCAAHA president, will share remarks on the importance of honoring this sacred site and introduce descendants, including Pastor Fields and the family of Dillard Lindsay, who is buried in the cemetery. Lindsay’s parents were enslaved and are believed to be buried there as well.
- Contemporary gospel artist James Daniels of Culpeper will perform at the event.
A commemorative plaque is planned for the burial site in the future. The cemetery is located on farm property owned by Kemp and Tommy Hill, who have maintained the site and partnered with MCAAHA to create a plan for its preservation and memorialization.
“Many of the graveyards for enslaved persons here in Madison County and throughout the South are lost to history,” says Dr. Jones. “We are pleased that the Hills have thoughtfully preserved this site and that we now have the opportunity to pay tribute to those who rest here. We continue to research the names of the enslaved in the Graves Mill area and seek to honor their legacy through this memorial ceremony and ongoing care of this cemetery.”
Special guests at the ceremony will include acclaimed photographer and multimedia artist Letitia Huckaby. Named “Texas Artist of the Year” in 2022, Huckaby is widely recognized for her use of portraiture and landscape to explore African American heritage and pay homage to enslaved ancestors and their descendants. Graves Mill Farm will host Huckaby, who is planning several portraits of Madison County community members, as a visiting artist in October.
The memorial event, which is supported by a grant from Virginia Humanities, is free and open to the community. Guests are encouraged to RSVP (required) at the Graves Mill Farm website for event details.