Northfield Plantation Cemetery
Photo added by Debbie Colvin

Northfield Plantation Cemetery

Cumberland County, Virginia, USA

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  • Get directions 189 Old Buckingham Road
    null, Virginia 23040 United States
    Coordinates: 37.51061, -78.21576
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Family cemetery on the Northfield Plantation located in Cumberland County, Virginia. The cemetery is surrounded by two rows of huge boxwoods. Inside this circle, is a stone wall about five feet tall, made of huge stone blocks that were dressed by Dr. Robert Henderson's slaves. There are steps leading part the way up the wall, then the wall is cut out and a hand-wrought gate, also made by the slaves, is there. There are two remaining steps up to the level of the cemetery. Around the inside of the stone wall are about twelve or fifteen yew trees which are very rare because of the inadaptability of yew trees to the Virginia climate. [Note: Mr. and Mrs. Gray, owners of Northfield in early 1930s, were offered $1,000 each for the yew trees but they could not be moved because the roots had become entwined with the stone wall and probably had reached into the graves. Unfortunately, all of the yew trees have been cut down when I visited in 2016]. The cemetery has been well taken care of due to family members creating a trust for the care of the cemetery.
Historical Significance of the cemetery:
Dr. Robert Henderson, an immigrant from Ireland, was a peculiar man and did not wish his body to be buried below the ground level, so this cemetery is elevated.
Family cemetery on the Northfield Plantation located in Cumberland County, Virginia. The cemetery is surrounded by two rows of huge boxwoods. Inside this circle, is a stone wall about five feet tall, made of huge stone blocks that were dressed by Dr. Robert Henderson's slaves. There are steps leading part the way up the wall, then the wall is cut out and a hand-wrought gate, also made by the slaves, is there. There are two remaining steps up to the level of the cemetery. Around the inside of the stone wall are about twelve or fifteen yew trees which are very rare because of the inadaptability of yew trees to the Virginia climate. [Note: Mr. and Mrs. Gray, owners of Northfield in early 1930s, were offered $1,000 each for the yew trees but they could not be moved because the roots had become entwined with the stone wall and probably had reached into the graves. Unfortunately, all of the yew trees have been cut down when I visited in 2016]. The cemetery has been well taken care of due to family members creating a trust for the care of the cemetery.
Historical Significance of the cemetery:
Dr. Robert Henderson, an immigrant from Ireland, was a peculiar man and did not wish his body to be buried below the ground level, so this cemetery is elevated.

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  • Added: 14 Apr 2018
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2663848