Current and Recent Funerals 2019

Friday, September 6, 2024

32nd ANNUAL CONFEDERATE GHOST WALK

 

 The 32nd Annual Confederate Ghost Walk will take place on October 11th & 12th, 2024.  

     
   Once again, the night will come alive with the       history of the past presented by re-enactors in
     period attire, revealing a day in the life of some of those buried at Magnolia Cemetery. 
                               

  Guided by candlelight, you will journey through the resting place of those who lived and died during a challenging period over 150 years ago. All scenarios are historically researched for accuracy.



       Things you need to know:

·       The walking tour leaves every 30 minutes beginning at 7:00 p.m., the last tour leaving at 9:30 p.m. Each tour lasts for approximately 1 ½ hours.

·       Tickets must be purchased in advance for a specified tour. 

·       No flashlights, cameras, or video equipment allowed.

·       Tours are not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
   Magnolia Cemetery is located at 
70 Cunnington Avenue, Charleston, SC

   The event will proceed RAIN OR SHINE. 
  
            TO PURCHASE TICKETS CLICK HERE               http://www.csatrust.net.
             

Friday, August 16, 2019

TOURING FOR RESTORATION



I want to share an amazing story with you. When I first came to work at Magnolia Cemetery thirty-seven years ago many achievement goals were already set in place. If only you could have seen what we were facing. I thought how can we make a turnaround like this possible.

Year after year the kindness of lot owners and friends of Magnolia have helped us with their generous donations in making many of those goals a reality.  

We are approaching four years of trying to raise funds to repair the termite damage to the plantation house. You have helped us generate well over half the amount it will take to accomplish these repairs.

I am happy to announce that with your help we have closed a contract with Meadors Inc. to complete these repairs. Although there is a large amount still need to totally cover the cost of the repairs the work is already in progress.

We have recently granted exclusive permission to Bulldog Tours, Inc. to operate nightly tours in Magnolia Cemetery. These tours are strictly walking tours and last about 90 minutes each. Bulldog Tours will be generating a portion of their proceeds to help financially repair the Plantation House.

If you want to help the Magnolia Cemetery Trust repair the Plantation House, which houses the administrative offices for the cemetery, you now have another way to contribute. To purchase tickets please CLICK HERE: https://bulldogtours.com/spirits-of-magnolia-tour/ .




Wednesday, February 8, 2017

TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD HOUSE NEEDS YOUR HELP


Pictured above the Federal style house constructed between 1798 and 1805 by Colonel William Cunnington, owner of Magnolia Umbra Plantation. The completely restored house, after hurricane Hugo, functions as the administrative offices of Magnolia Cemetery Trust. At the present this house has major termite damage. I have inserted Mr. McDowell's last newsletter in which he explains the necessary repairs to insure the soundness of the structure and the cost involved. Without these repairs the structure will deteriorate beyond repair. To be apart of this effort and make a tax-deductible donation please make checks payable to:
                   Magnolia Cemetery Trust 
                   P. O. Box 22873
                   Charleston, SC 29413

Dear Friends of Magnolia:

           It is very hard to believe that it has been three years since our last communication. The holiday season is upon us once again!

The cemetery is an irreplaceable part of our city, state and national cultural heritage, but much of the historic landscape, buildings and artistic grave markers are endangered as a result of serious neglect. Although Magnolia Cemetery has been a perpetual care cemetery since 1954 and perpetual care has been mandatory since 1974, even today many lots remain without perpetual care. Grave markers are private property, and owners are accountable for the repairs and maintenance.
Some family members have faithfully overseen the upkeep of their loved ones' graves for many years. However, as families have moved away and descendants have passed on, a number of graves have been neglected. A great deal of professional and volunteer conservation work has been performed on damaged headstones, but every year additional grave markers are affected by problems associated with age, ground settling, and inclement weather.
As I reflect on the substantial damage received by Magnolia Cemetery resulting from hurricane Matthew the unexpected cost of the clean up it is obvious that the annual operating budget has suffer. We still have quite a way to go but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We hope and pray that all our readers in the areas hit by Matthew made it out okay.
In past years, we have been able to use the accrued interest from our portfolio to supplement the operating fund paying for most daily expenses. As you know, interest rates are very low and prices continue to rise.
Most recently, we purchased several new weed-eaters, lawn mowers and made much need repairs to our riding lawn mower. We replaced all deteriorated wood and painted the entire walk bridge. During the October 2015 flood we had the extra expense of repairing our breached flood gate. The Gate was repaired and the threaded valve stem was replaced.  All of these expenses were included in the general maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. However, the massive tree removal, resulting from hurricane Matthew, totaled over $15,000 made quite a debt to our reserve fund.
We are now faced with the financial burden of making extensive repairs to the Plantation house which functions as our office. This buildings along with the architectural value of the landscape by Edward C. Jones are the elements that qualifies the cemetery to be on the National Register of Historic Places. Being on the NRHP allows us to apply for certain grants. So you see how important it is to maintain these structures.
 We have completed a very thorough interior and exterior assessment. The assessment in itself was expensive, $20,000 plus.
The project is set up in three phases:
Site Mobilization……………………………………$ 24,037.86
Immediate Priority………………………………….$  89,561.05
Short Term………………………………………….$  88,116.89
Long Term………………………………………….$    1,981.85
Total Project………………………………………..$ 203,697.65
If the project is not completed in one continuous stage the site mobilization would be applied each time the set up phase is repeated.
  The cemetery has come a long way, because of friends like you, but there is still much work to be done. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us to preserve this cultural treasure by providing funds to help pay for much-needed conservation work on the buildings, road and pathways as well as provide necessary tools, equipment and other improvements to this National Landmark.
Yours very truly,
G. Simms McDowell, III 
Chairman                                                  

Thursday, September 24, 2015

C OF C STUDENTS GO "BEYOND THE GRAVE"





Magnolia Cemetery was excited to have The College of  Charleston's class "Beyond the Grave; What Old Cemeteries Tell and Teach the Living" visit with their professor Patrick Harwood on September 21, 2015. 

For more information about this class and what it is teaching the students click here. 

Thursday, May 7, 2015

A WELCOMED ADDITION TO MAGNOLIA CEMETERY




Magnolia Cemetery is proud to welcome the addition of an exquisite private mausoleum nestled among the beautiful oaks and magnolias located in the Belvidere Section of the cemetery.

The Board of Trustees of Magnolia Cemetery recently approved the architectural/engineer drawings and style of the building. The foundation has been poured and the first row of granite is in place (pictured above). We congratulate the family building this mausoleum and thank them for choosing our beautiful historic cemetery.

If your family does not have memorial property and plan to be buried at Magnolia Cemetery we encourage you to do so while the options are still available. For more detailed information about our services or offerings please contact the Magnolia Cemetery Office at the above contacts or you can stop by the office and talk to one of our staff members.

Magnolia is a perpetual care cemetery. However, it wasn't always required that you purchase perpetual care when purchasing memorial property. The purchase of perpetual care has been mandatory since 1974 and lots that were purchased prior to 1974 and remain without perpetual care are not sharing the financial burden of the cemetery’s upkeep. We ask that you please check with the cemetery office to see if your lot is in perpetual care. Money placed in the perpetual care fund helps increase the dividends and interest needed to fund the everyday operations of the cemetery.




SESQUICENTENNIAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE



One Hundred and Fifty years after the Civil War came to a close, we at Magnolia Cemetery stop to commemorate the tragic cost in human lives during the War. The public is invited to join the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of the Confederate Veterans this Saturday May 9, 2015, 10:00 AM at the Soldiers Grounds in Magnolia Cemetery for the sesquicentennial Memorial Day Service.

South Carolina ranks third in lives lost on the Confederate side. It has been said as many men died in captivity during the Civil War as were killed in the whole of the Vietnam War. Here at Magnolia Cemetery we estimate over 3,000 Confederate soldiers are buried within the Soldiers Ground and privately owned family lots.

Many families lost more than one member to this unprecedentedly violent war. One example of a family that suffered a great lost would be the Huger family. Daniel Elliott Huger, II and Carolina Proctor Huger lost three sons to this conflict. Daniel Elliott Huger, III killed in action at Chickamauga, Stephan Proctor Huger killed in action at Shiloh and Joseph Proctor Huger killed in action at Fort Sumpter. All were Great grandsons of Arthur Middleton and Mary Polly Izard of Middleton Place Plantation and Gardens. This story and many others like it can be found in Professor PatrickHarwood’s newest book IN THE ARMS OF ANGELS Charleston’s Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry sold here at Magnolia and many other location around Charleston.

I encourage you to attend the service and take the time to stroll through the cemetery and witness for yourselves the history of Magnolia Cemetery.


Thursday, December 4, 2014

BOOK SIGNING AT MAGNOLIA CEMETERY

Christmas is just around the corner. If you are still undecided about what to give let me recommend a perfectly awesome gift weather it is for a family member, friend, professional colleague, boss or client, a book about my favorite place Magnolia Cemetery.

Professor Patrick Harwood will be at Magnolia Cemetery December 20, 2014 from 10:00 AM until 12 noon to sell and sign his new book "IN THE ARMS OF ANGELS."  The book beautifully illustrated with pictures taken by Professor Harwood himself will take you on a journey through Charleston’s treasure of history, mystery and artistry.  I feel his book would be a wonderful addition to anyone's personal library.  So, drop by the cemetery and purchase that Christmas gift without standing in line and searching for a parking place.