‘It’s indescribable’: Historic black cemetery in Dinwiddie suffering decades of neglect

DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Descendants of loved ones buried at Sacred Heart Memorial Gardens, a historic black cemetery in Dinwiddie County, are demanding support after the site has suffered decades of neglect.

Tucked away in the far southwestern part of Dinwiddie County, you will find endless fields and trees that seemingly touch the sky. It's only during a short walk through Sacred Heart Memorial Gardens that you will realize the land isn't just for the living.

8News spoke with Bruce Robinson, as his great-great-grandfather William Christopher is buried at the cemetery alongside other family members.

“He was born in 1839, in 1865 he was freed man, he lived till 1929," Robinson said.

While Sacred Heart Memorial Gardens is his final resting place, it wasn't his first. His remains, were some of the nearly 1,500 remains of Black Virginians that were reburied at the site.

(Photo: Jakobi Davis, 8News)

This decision was made after the federal government bought more than 45,000 acres of land in parts of Dinwiddie and surrounding counties to build Camp Pickett. The area was a training site during World War II and is now known as Fort Barfoot.

According to Dinwiddie County, the cemetery was placed in trust by Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Wainwright in March of 1942. At the time, five trustees were appointed by the Circuit Court.

Less than three miles away from Sacred Heart Memorial Gardens, you will find Butterwood United Methodist Church. This is where the remains of White people were reburied. Here, a separate trustee board was appointed to oversee this site.

After hearing concerns about neglect in the early 2000's, Dinwiddie County appointed five new trustees to take over the board and maintain the cemetery. The county says two of the five trustees are still living, the remaining either died or their whereabouts are unknown -- leaving major repairs like filling sunken graves and cutting trees difficult to complete.

“This is a visual representation of just some of the collection of stuff that begins to dwell on these graves," Robinson said.

(Photo: Erik Halvorson, 8News)

Since learning their connection to the site during a family reunion in 2019, Robinson and his cousin Diane Christopher led the charge in restoration efforts.

In 2023, Robinson says his family started hosting cleanups where troops and community volunteers across Central Virginia would work to clear brush and tree limbs.

While their efforts improved the site, Robinson and Christopher tell me they reached out to local and federal leaders for more support but did not receive the help they needed.

“Our heart goes out to the families and especially those individuals that are buried in this location," said Kevin Massengill, Dinwiddie County Administrator.

8News spoke with Dinwiddie's County Administrator about their concerns. While the county does not own the site, Massengill said the county has worked with Christopher to address the neglect.

"In any way that we can help in assisting both the family and the community to get these trustees put in place that -- we see that as our fundamental role," Massengill said.

Massengill also said a majority of cemeteries in the county are privately owned and do not receive public support. This is the same case with Sacred Heart Memorial Gardens -- because the site is privately owned, Massengill said having a full trustee board to ensure proper oversight is important. This is a responsibility of the county and is one the county says they are prioritizing.

(Photo: Jakobi Davis, 8News)

A week after 8News spoke with Massengill, the county said they have been in touch with five interested trustee board members who are now waiting to be officially appointed.

Federal leaders said they are lending their support as well. A spokesperson from Senator Kaine's office sent 8News the following statement:

“Historic African American burial sites are critical to understanding our nation’s history and must be preserved. I’m glad Virginia has taken steps to preserve these sites, and I’m proud to have cosponsored and helped pass the African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act, which authorized the National Park Service to establish a grant program to preserve historic African American burial grounds."

8News has since connected the Robison family with federal leaders to discuss funding opportunities.

In the meantime, Robinson said he and his family will continue their work to ensure Sacred Heart Memorial Gardens is a dignified resting place for their loved ones and others.

“What I would have described, is an untenable disgrace. But now it's a manageable work in progress," Robinson said.

For those that want to volunteer and get involved with cleanup efforts, send an email to dianechristopher12@gmail.com for more information.