Cemetery Artifacts

Knowing the historical value of the cemetery and what it
contains, the Old Presbyterian Graveyard Committee made a decision to have the cemetery scanned with metal detectors before disturbing the soil during the landscaping phase.

It was truly amazing what was discovered.

Four members of a Raleigh volunteer organization, The Triangle Relic Recovery and Historic Preservation Association, brought their metal detectors to the cemetery on two separate Saturdays.

The photo at the right shows some of the artifacts recovered.







An old heart shaped lock, a lock with a chain, buttons, knives, nails, lantern pieces, and a NRA Junior Marksman medal were recovered.

Belt ends, Civil War Union and Confederate rifle

bullets, pistol bullets, and dress weights were also found.

The church was used as a hospital during the Battle of Bentonville so some of these bullets may have been dropped in the cemetery during burials or when soldiers came to visit the wounded.

The artifacts recovered will be cleaned, given to the church, and hopefully will be displayed around the cemetery