Preservation & the Future

The Obligation to Preserve

Preservation or Brutontown Cemetery is not symbolic. It is a legal, cultural, and moral obligation grounded in documented history, descendant connection, and the continued presence of those buried there. 

The events of 2025 clarified what had long remained unresolved: without formal recognition and enforceable protections, burial grounds remain vulnerable. Preservation is the mechanism through which dignity is restored, harm is prevented, and accountability is established. 

This work moves beyond acknowledgement toward structured, lawful stewardship, guided by descendants and informed by established preservation and regulatory frameworks.

Preservation Priorities

Immediate preservation priorities for Brutontown Cemetery include: 

• Stabilization of the burial ground to prevent further disturbance

• Protection of both marked and unmarked graves

• Documentation of headstones, landscape features, and burial patterns

• Clarification of cemetery boundaries and appropriate protective buffer zones

All preservation actions are guided by a foundational principle:

No activity affecting the site should occur without review, consultation, and appropriate safeguards. 

Formal Protection & Regulatory Pathways

To secure long-term protection, descendants are actively pursuing formal preservation and regulatory pathways designed to move Brutontown from vulnerability to permanence. 

Consulting Party Status (Section 106)

Descendants are pursuing Consulting Party status under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for any federally funded, permitted, or assisted activities that may affect or be adjacent to Brutontown Society Ground.

Consulting Party status formally recognizes that:

• Descendants have demonstrated cultural, historical, and ancestral ties to the burial ground

• Descendant perspectives are  legally relevant  in review and  consultation processes

• Future actions require  early, meaningful consultation, not post-hoc notification

This status is essential to ensuring that descendants are included in decisions that affect the site, rather than informed after harm has occurred.

State-Level Engagement

Preservation efforts include engagement with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DoES) regarding:

• Burial ground protections

• Disturbance review requirements

• Environmental oversight where applicable

• Compliance pathways under state law

State-level engagement is pursued to ensure that burial protections are recognized, enforced, and consistently applied.

National Historic Recognition

Descendants are evaluating Brutontown Cemetery for eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NHRP), based on: 

• Age and historical continuity

• Cultural significance as an African American burial ground

• Documented association with Brutontown and Society Ground

• Integrity of location and setting

NRHP listing is pursued as a protective and accountability framework, not as a symbolic designation.  Any nomination will be descendant-informed, professionally supported, and historically accurate. 

Documentation & Preservation Planning

Preservation planning is supported by ongoing documentation, including: 

• Archival research and historical record review

• Cemetery mapping and spatial analysis

• Photographic documentation of site conditions

• Review of land records, deeds, and redevelopment history

• Consultation with historians, cultural resource specialists, and legal professionals

The goal of documentation is verified understanding — establishing how the site has been treated over time and what protections are required going forward.

Education, Memory & Public Accountability

Preservation is inseparable from education and accountability. Brutontown Society Ground reflects broader truths about African American burial practices, land stewardship, and the consequences of institutional neglect. 

Future preservation efforts will support: 

• Public education grounded in documented history

• Interpretive materials that honor those buried here

• Clear distinction between verified findings and media narratives

• Ongoing public accountability for decisions affecting the site

Preservation ensures that Brutontown is remembered accurately and protected lawfully.

A Protected Future

The future of the Brutontown Cemetery is one in which: 

• Burial ground boundaries are clearly recognized and respected

• Descendants hold a formal consultative role in preservation decisions

• Actions affecting the site are guided by law, history, and dignity

• The burial ground is protected from further disturbance or erasure

Preservation is how Brutontown moves from vulnerability to permanence. 

Looking Ahead

The work of preservation is ongoing. It requires diligence, collaboration, and integrity. 

By pursuing formal recognition, regulatory protection, Consulting Party status, and descendant-centered stewardship, Brutontown's future will be shaped not by neglect or convenience, but by careful preservation rooted in truth and responsibility — ensuring that those buried here are honored and protected for generations to come.