Historic Cemetery Left to Rot

[GURPS]

there is a joke in there somewhere ......

Fort Washington residents concerned over abandoned historic cemetery

Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/0...-historic-cemetery--114488.html#ixzz3cxltX7vZ
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A “notice to clean” was put up late Wednesday morning by the Prince George’s County code enforcement department. The property owners have been notified. They now have 10 days to cut the grass. If they don’t, the county will cut it and put a $3,000 lien on the historic cemetery.

Horrors grass has grown .... I really wonder about people


great the county puts a lien on the property because the grass doesn't get cut
.... they condemn and seize the property :shrug: then what

the county is still mowing grass


2604 Kingsway Rd, Oxon Hill-Glassmanor, Maryland

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Hmm if the county does get the cemetery then they have to pay for the upkeep of it, doesn't sound like a smart move. I am guessing it is full and not making the owners money any more.

Where I am from most of the cemeteries are owned by the town, a church or some other organization that is going to be around a long time. The town owned cemetary where my dad is buried has graves from the early 1700s in it.

 

[RPMDAD]

GURPS, thanks for posting this, i found it very interesting. Went to high school in the oxon hill area back in the late 60's. Knew the fort Washington area pretty well back then, I think they have expanded the Fort Washington area since i lived there. I am surprised, i hadn't heard or knew of this cemetery then. Did some research and it came back very interesting. Came back as the Bayne Family Cemetery. Previous slave owners, John Bayne was a Dr. graduated from U.MD.owner of Salubria Plantation in the Spaldings District, Prince George's County , also mentions the Thomas E. Berry at Oxon Hill Plantation. One of his slaves murdered 3 of his children. I definitely feel it is an historic property and the graveyard should be preserved. Back in the old days, people had cemeteries on their private lands / farms or whatever. Then along came developers who bought up most the property and put in housing developments. I am sure most readers on this forum have been to Ocean City Md. along Rte 50 look out the window and see how many family cemetery plots are alongside the road. I find local history fascinating.

Harm to the master’s family- Slave women in Maryland could easily cause harm to the family of their owner because of the tasks they were given. Some women were trusted as caretakers, as well as cooks.
1. On November 6, 1834, Judith, who belonged to Dr. John Bayne, kills his two sons John and George aged 7 and 5 years old. John Bayne lived at Salubria Plantation in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Judith admits to having previously poisoned Dr. Bayne’s infant daughter Mary Catherine two years prior. Judith, who is only 14 at the time, is eventually tried and hanged for the crime. By 1864, John Bayne who was an advocate for slavery and strict punishment of runaways eventually spoke out in favor of emancipation once he saw the inevitable ending of slavery. We can find this information in Newspapers. The children of John and Mary Bayne that were killed by Judith are buried at Apple Grove Cemetery in Fort Washington. Newspaper states that they don’t know why she did this because she came from a nice family. (PG County Pictorial History and Stones and Bones)

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=33370393

http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5400/sc5496/010500/010538/html/010538bio.html

http://mdihp.net/dsp_county.cfm?sea...iewer=true&updated=N&criteria1=B&criteria2=PG

 

[slowlane]

I am familiar with the history of Oxon Hill. Dr. John Bayne's home "SALUBRIA" (Latin word for "health") was in disrepair and was just recently demolished. It was on the site of the new Tanger Outlets shops, across from National Harbor. Later on, in the mid-20th century Salubria was home to U.S. Congressman Breckenridge of Kentucky. However, the Bayne graveyard is a few miles away, inside the "Apple Grove" development near Bock Road.

Dr. Bayne's interesting biography is in the link above. He was the founder of the "Maryland Agricultural College" (now Univ of MD). He was a physician for the Union Army. He is believed to have cast the ONLY vote in Prince Georges County for Abraham Lincoln, and I think, was later Superintendant of Schools. An elementary school in Suitland is named for him.

 

[RPMDAD]

I am familiar with the history of Oxon Hill. Dr. John Bayne's home "SALUBRIA" (Latin word for "health") was in disrepair and was just recently demolished. It was on the site of the new Tanger Outlets shops, across from National Harbor. Later on, in the mid-20th century Salubria was home to U.S. Congressman Breckenridge of Kentucky. However, the Bayne graveyard is a few miles away, inside or near the "Apple Grove" development between Bock and Allentown Roads.

Dr. Bayne's interesting biography is in the link above. He was the founder of the "Maryland Agricultural College" (now Univ of MD). He was a physician for the Union Army. He is believed to have cast the ONLY vote in Prince Georges County for Abraham Lincoln, and I think, was later Superintendant of Schools. An elementary school in Suitland is named for him.

Very interesting info. slowlane , like i said earlier went to high school in that area and have always been a history kind of dude, but had never heard of it till gurps post.. Used to skip school and go go fishing at at Fort Washington, and Fort Foote and Piscataway Creek all the time. Sister and BIL, used to live in the Fort Forte area before the casino. Love Md. local history.

 

[officeguy]

GURPS, thanks for posting this, i found it very interesting. Went to high school in the oxon hill area back in the late 60's. Knew the fort Washington area pretty well back then, I think they have expanded the Fort Washington area since i lived there.

The Fort Washington post office is a consolidation of a number of smaller offices including Friendly and some others.

 

[officeguy]

Horrors grass has grown .... I really wonder about people


great the county puts a lien on the property because the grass doesn't get cut
.... they condemn and seize the property :shrug: then what

the county is still mowing grass

That's the only way PG county knows to react to things. Just fine it and it will be all better. The day will come that they will stick a code enforcement sticker on a dead body for obstrucing the sidewalk.

 

[b23hqb]

Hmmm.....a $3000.00 lien against it. Some developer will go to the county and pick up that lien from an unsuspecting county employee, remove the grave markers, build a house or two.......

Another poltergeist, anyone?

I have a cousin that lives in Sykesville, Md, and just a short walk from her house is a very old small church with a very old cemetary attached that goes back to the mid 1600's. Really cool to try and read some of those weather-worn headstones.

 

[vince77]

Cemetery property may not be sold for use for another purpose without first obtaining a court judgment for the sale of the cemetery for another purpose.

 

[GURPS]

GURPS, thanks for posting this, i found it very interesting.
Went to high school in the oxon hill area back in the late 60's.

Class of 1984


I'd imagine there are more than a few hidden cemeteries like this given the history in southern PG.

I know there is one along Livingston rd just before you get to Chalfont DR.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.710...5A5SIsO6qoSw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e4?hl=en

also thanks for this: Salubria Plantation
[I also wondered how they were able to build the Tanger on Historical Property]

I always wondered why one of the 2 office buildings built in Oxon Hill in the late 60's / early 70's was called the Salubria Building ....


I lived in the 7000 block Oxon Hill rd in the early 1970's
... Oxon Hill Manor was my playground