A group of Seabrook Island Natural History Group members toured several Charleston cemeteries on Wednesday, November 11th. The tour was designed specifically for SINHG and was led by Carol-Ezell Gibson. Some of the most beautiful gardens and tranquil areas to visit in downtown Charleston are the church cemeteries where Charlestonians have rested in peace for centuries. The group walked through quiet garden paths to view examples of finely crafted slate and marble funerary art. They were shown examples of the evolution from simple skull & cross-bones imagery to winged skulls, cherubs, and finally portrait stones. The tour included stories about several famous southerners found buried in St. Michaels and St. Phillips cemeteries. A few of those mentioned were John Calhoun, Charles Pinckney, Charles Coatsworth Pinckney, John Rutledge and DuBois Hayward. Carol even threw in a few ghost stories!
Photo credit:
-Submitted by Gary Fansler