A centuries-old cemetery for enslaved black people was uncovered after a Richmond, Virginia, woman employed neighbors and four-legged friends to help clear a grove of birch trees.
Forest View Cemetery, a 100-plot historic black cemetery that dates to the 19th century, was covered in poison ivy and remnants of the past, including old car parts, scrap boards, and mattresses. With the help of RVA Goats and Honey, the cemetery was cleared in a matter of days, leaving headstones visible and birch trees unencumbered by deadly plants.
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Melissa Linkous, a new Forest View resident, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that she started clearing the cemetery on her own, but eventually, she realized she would need more help to preserve the cemetery.
“I think what kept the cemetery protected, even though it was defunct for so many decades, was the fact that it was covered in poison ivy. So it kept people out,” Linkous said. “But it also kept volunteers out. So the cycle goes: The goats come in, they love poison ivy, they eat it all, and then the human volunteers come in and work.”
Kristi Orcutt, who owns RVA Goats and Honey, is leading the goat-clearing operation, which began five years ago. Her herd of over a hundred goats, many of them rescues, is tasked with clearing Forest View Cemetery.
“It’s the beginning of restoration, of justice for black lives and black bodies and black ancestry and their stories,” Orcutt said of the clearing. “It’s way past time, and there’s lots of people working on these things, and if I can, I’m going to do something to help.”
The cemetery, located along the Richmond and Henrico County line, can be traced to 1873 from those formerly enslaved at B.W. Green’s plantation. Its legacy continued from the freed black people of Bandy Field to future generations, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The city of Richmond purchased the area in 1955, forcing the descendants of those lying at rest in the cemetery to relocate so the city could build a school.
Archaeologist Tim Roberts said the cemetery can uncover roots that can be tied back to the Civil War, Reconstruction, civil rights era, and urban renewal. However, he said the cemetery has a long way to go in restoration.
“We’re really at a nexus to be able to tell a bunch of really interesting stories; these people bought plots. They were owners free and clear from the get-go,” Roberts said. “They built this, and it shows up on the maps. It isn’t just some forgotten piece of land.”
The Friends of Forest View Cemetery have warned residents to keep animals away from the fences around the area to allow the goats to work “without fear or stress,” as well as asked people not to feed the goats.
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Those helping with the conservation efforts said on Aug. 15 that they would be placing signage around the areas where large rocks used to mark graves to alert visitors they are near a historic burial site.
“It’s an important place. It’s been sitting there for decades, largely unknown, and my hope is that with help from the descendant community and the good decisions that people are making now, it will be preserved and protected,” Linkous said. “Hopefully, a story can be told way beyond our lifetimes.”
