The City of Richmond has disclosed the findings of a study conducted on its property at 2313 Wise Street, where a Department of Public Utilities substation has been located since 1930. The investigation was initiated earlier this year to determine if burial remains were present on the site, which is thought to have served as a cemetery for both civilians and soldiers from nearby military hospitals during the Civil War.
The research, carried out by TerraSearch, an independent geophysical surveying firm, employed non-invasive ground-penetrating radar techniques. The results identified at least 742 potential unmarked graves on the premises. Of these, 472 are classified as “probable” internments and 270 as “possible.” The report notes that due to the dense burial pattern, its findings might not encompass all potential graves. It also indicates that graves could extend into neighboring lots.
In collaboration with historians and relevant state and local officials, Richmond is formulating an access plan for descendants of those believed buried there and others interested in genealogical research. This plan will be announced and published on the City’s website once completed.
Since 1930, the property at 2313 Wise Street has been under Richmond’s ownership and hosts a gas booster facility built in 1931 by the Department of Public Utilities. Although no marked graves exist on-site, a memorial marker installed in 1939 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy commemorates “more than 100 South Carolina Soldiers” who died in a hospital across the street and are presumed buried there.
Historical documents suggest that Manchester began using this location as a cemetery in 1857 for wartime burials between 1861-1862. Despite some evidence from period maps and documentation indicating its use as a Confederate soldiers’ burial ground, definitive records are absent regarding wartime burials or postwar removals. Consequently, Richmond commissioned this study to verify any burial remains.
