Brutontown Society Ground Cemetery
Site Brief:
Founded: 1800s
Location: Greenville, SC
Additional name(s): Brutontown Cemetery
Affiliate group(s): N/A
History:
Established in the 1800s, Brutontown Society Ground Cemetery is an African American cemetery in Brutontown, one of Greenville's oldest Black communities. Brutontown was founded in 1874 by Benjamin Bruton, a freedman, and was home to Black tradesmen, sharecroppers, and tenant farmers. Much of the history of Brutontown Society Ground Cemetery is unknown. The only deed to the cemetery was executed in 1818 by Samuel Taylor, a free man of color (GCRA, community poster, n.d.). The cemetery serves as the final resting place for formerly enslaved people, freed men and women, and veterans. Due to damage sustained during recent cleanup efforts, several burial sites have been disturbed, headstones have been broken, and other artifacts have been lost, misplaced, or destroyed.
BCN Contact Information:
Chandra Dillard