Charles County, established 1658, county seat La Plata.

News from the County:

The Charles County Maryland Genealogical Society came into existence on January 1, 2005.  A grant has been received from the Charles County Historical Trust to update the circa 1976 cemetery inventory.   The Charles County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans adopted, as its Join Hands Day 2005 project, to assist in the cleanup of some of the cemeteries.
 
In searching for and locating the cemeteries, two cemeteries have come to the attention of the society and Thriven: the Stoddert cemetery at Bryans Road; and the Good Hope Baptist Cemetery in Mt. Victoria.
 
While the first Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert is not buried at the Bryans Road cemetery, other family members are.  This small cemetery is in the middle of a housing development and currently owned by the neighborhood association.   Prior to 1965, the Navy had cleaned up the cemetery and put up a chain around the graves.  Since that time, vandals have dumped debris (including ceramic tile) and other trash, trees have fallen, etc.
 
The Good Hope Baptist Church was disbanded circa 1954 and that cemetery is also very overgrown and in need of cleanup and restoration.
 
A consultation with Scott Lawrence of GraveConcerns was planned, weather permitting, May 22nd to determine what should be the best plan to restore these cemeteries.
 
These two cemeteries are in need of additional volunteers to help with the cleanup.  If you need additional information please contact Ms. Emond   cemond64@comcast.net  is the Coordinator of the Cemetery Transcription Project which includes necessary cleanup in order to do the digital photography of the tombstones.   Ms. Wencel is President of the CCMGS c.wencel@att.net

Respectfully,
 
Mary Ellen Wilmoth
Coordinator For the
Join Hands Day 2005 project

Hello folks, my Dent Cemetery, in Charles County, was once on family property.  It is now on property owned outside the family, the Kendall family I believe, on Smith Point Road.  No one is now looking after the cemetery and it is abandoned and in terrible shape.  I have tried to interest a widow of a Dent cousin in getting it cleaned up, but to my knowledge is has not been taken care of since her husband died. My cousin lives across the street from the family burial ground.

Is there any group, i.e. boy scouts, which is interested in preserving these old cemeteries? Any advice?
Jacqueline Davidson, North Carolina jalfred@earthlink.net