HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Months after the announcement of the purchase of over 100 acres of land in Hanover County, leaders discovered 13 unmarked graves believed to be descendants of a man by the name of John Gibson.
Hanover County purchased the land located at 5284 Mechanicsville Turnpike on Route 360 in April of 2023. The site will be the future home for two new Hanover schools set to replace Bell Creek Middle and Mechanicsville High School.
During a Cultural Resources Survey, the county told 8News they identified a cemetery including 13 unmarked graves dating back to the late 1800’s.
At first, the cemetery too was unnamed, but the county later located a deed which identified the cemetery as “The Old John Gibson Burial Ground.”
Patricia Jordan, president of the Hanover Chapter of the NAACP told 8News the county notified her after making the discovery. Recently the chapter has worked to put together a map of historically black cemeteries to help prevent future developers from building on that land.
“If there are remains of our people, we think we would like to have some say in what happens with them,” said Jordan.
Hanover County and property owners filed a Bill in Equity to the circuit court for potential relocation. As required by law, a notice was posted telling the community about the discovery. A hearing was also held on November 28, 2023 allowing descendants to weigh in on next steps. A spokesperson from the county said no one showed up to that appearance and an update will be given in court on January 9th.
There are currently no plans to move the graves. If gravesite conflicts with the design plan for the school then that may change.
“We as a people, so much of our history has been lost, and this is a way for us to connect, for us to look back and find a family member, if that’s what we were searching for,” said Jordan.
Anyone with questions or descendants who believe they may have family members buried at the site can contact Hanover County at rbrandolph@hanovercounty or dawalter@hanovercounty. You may also contact the Hanover Chapter of the NAACP at hanovernaacp2@gmail.com.
