Dorchester County board readies November cemetery event, plans realtor outreach and documentation steps

Board members spent the bulk of the meeting planning community outreach and cemetery preservation activities, including an event planned for the second Saturday in November and a set of follow-up education materials for real estate and title professionals.

Members said churches in the target neighborhoods (Trinity and Whitehaven) and local social media channels will help distribute event flyers. The event will run 9 to 11 a.m.; the board discussed rain contingency plans and named Church Creek and Trinity as potential indoor backups if weather requires moving the program inside. The group will produce printed table materials, including 5x7 keepsakes with a rubbing activity and a double-sided informational card for attendees.

The board also discussed field documentation. One member reported visiting a property known as Wayfair Farm, on Pigneck Road, where they confirmed two documented burials and photographed an additional stone that was not listed in the reference used (Nellie Marshall’s book). The member said she would fill out the board’s survey/documentation form and pursue genealogy follow-up through Maryland genealogy resources to identify the person on the undocumented stone. Members stressed that land-sale and permitting processes may not always reflect the presence of burial sites because title searches typically reach back only a limited number of years, so the board agreed to prepare a brief one-page handout directed to real estate brokers, title companies and local attorneys explaining what to do when a burial site is discovered.

The board noted that Susan Webb previously reviewed and approved the board’s survey form and that the materials being drafted will be circulated to staff for legal and procedural checks before distribution. Members proposed in-person visits to local broker offices to explain the requirements and to provide the one-page handout directly, and discussed including local title companies and attorneys on the distribution list so title searches and permit applicants are alerted to potential burial-site issues earlier in the process.

Separately, the board discussed a small cemetery on Dalesville Road (near a ball field) for a spring volunteer cleanup and said the property owner has approved a clearing. Members suggested tying the clean-up to Earth Day events in April but also considered an earlier date to avoid ticks and snakes.

Board members asked staff to circulate the flyer and an activity list by email, to post materials on the county website and to evaluate the November event afterward to refine plans for future outreach.