Slave Cemetery

History:

A member of the Torrence family says the cemetery was started for their slaves. The family had a home and property around the present-day Presbyterian Hospital on Elizabeth Ave. in Charlotte.

Documentation:

Undated newspaper article by John W. Harden

Location:

This cemetery reportedly was used only prior to the Civil War and was not known by many of Charlotte's residents at the time of the newspaper article, due to the overgrown condition. E. L. Mason, who lived in the Charlotte area for 30 years, was shown the gravesite by Jack Myers in 1908. Mason, who was once chairman of the city's park system, wanted to drain this area and turn it into a park. The area, once a Charlotte reservoir for water, was no longer needed. The plan was to haul in dirt to fill up the reservoir, covering the graves.