The Hopkins-Smith-Cooke Cemetery is across the street from 516 Yorktown Rd. Tabb. The road leading to the cemetery is on the right side of the abandoned farm house.
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The Smith-Hopkins-Cooke Cemetery is, in actuality, three distinct burial locations all only a short distance apart. The Smith Cemetery is located on the west side of the site and enclosed by an old wrought iron fence. The wrought iron gate through the fence clearly identifies it as the Smith Cemetery. A second, separately fenced cemetery exists about 50 yards east of the Smith Cemetery on the other side of a crude road and contains the tombstones of the Hopkins and Cooke families and several other families. This is the Hopkins–Cooke part of the cemetery and has no decorative gate or sign identifying it as such.

Distinct from these two cemeteries and located between them are 6 identifiable tombstones: Levin Smith (d. March 14, 1848), Mary L. Smith (d. August 31, 1848), Easter Kellam (June 24, 1978 – May 17, 1852), James H. Kellam (March 14, 1821 – March 6, 1876), Margaret Frazer (July 15, 1813 – October 20, 1868) and James Kellum (January 6, 178? – April 11, 1860). These 6 tombstones do not appear to be part of either cemetery.

The dirt road leading to the cemetery from Yorktown Road is deeply rutted and extremely muddy even on a dry day. This road is routinely used as a horse path by the horse stables nearby and is hardly a road at all. It is not suitable for a sedan but could be used by an SUV or a pick-up truck. You have to work to get to this cemetery which is on private property and it is clearly marked as Private Property – No Trespassing. I stopped and asked permission before visiting the cemetery and permission was granted.

The Smith portion of the cemetery complex was free of weeds and appears to be mowed regularly. The Hopkins-Cooke portion of the cemetery is in very sad shape and had weeds and undergrowth over head high in December 2011 when I photo documented all the tombstones. All three of the burial locations have been repeated vandalized over the years and many of the tombstones have been knocked off their mounts and many are laying face down in the dirt. Several have been broken into enough fragments that they are no longer readable. It makes your realize why the property is marked with so many No Trespassing signs. (Ron Stewart – [email protected])